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Following a public comment period, the Commission has made final a modified consent agreement with the following: Boeing Co./Hughes Electronics. The modified consent agreement expands the definition of "nonpublic satellite information" to include information received from satellite "owners." This change was incorporated into the consent agreement to prevent Boeing from sharing with its satellite division competitively sensitive information that its launch vehicle business receives from satellite owners. Letters were sent to the commentors of record: Lockheed Martin and Arianespace Inc. The Commission vote to finalize the consent order was 5-0. (File No. 001-0092; staff contact is Norman A. Armstrong, Jr., 202-326-2072; see press release dated September 27, 2000.)

Dismissal of Part 3 administrative complaint:

On December 14, 2000 the United States District Court for the District of Columbia granted the FTC's motion for a preliminary injunction to prevent Swedish Match North America from acquiring the loose leaf chewing tobacco brands and certain other assets of National Tobacco Company. On December 21, the Commission issued an administrative complaint alleging that the acquisition, if consummated, would violate Section 5 of the FTC Act and Section 7 of the Clayton Act. Subsequently, Swedish Match withdrew its Hart-Scott-Rodino filing and advised the Commission that it and National Tobacco had abandoned the proposed transaction. Because these developments ensure that the most important elements of the contemplated relief set out in the administrative complaint have been accomplished -- without the need for further litigation -- the Commission has now dismissed the complaint.

Copies of the documents mentioned in this release are available from the FTC's Web site at http://www.ftc.gov and also from the FTC's Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint, or to get free information on any of 150 consumer topics, call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357), or use the online complaint form. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies worldwide.

 

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