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Commission action regarding prior FTC order:

  • The Commission has approved an action regarding a final order concerning the following: Hoechst AG, et al. The terms of FTC Docket No. C-3919, finalized on January 20, 2000, concerning Rhone-Poulenc SA's acquisition of Hoechst AG, required the successor entity, Aventis SA, to divest its newly developed anti-coagulant drug Revasc within six months of the order. Aventis has not complied with this requirement, and, in accordance with the order, is now required to divest its established product Refludan instead of Revsac. This FTC action directs Aventis SA to divest Refludan, appoints a Ferghana Partners, Inc. as a divestiture trustee and approves the trustee agreement. The Commission vote to approve the action was 5-0. (Docket No. C-3919; staff contact is Daniel P. Ducore, 202-326-2526; see press release dated December 7, 1999.)

Modification of Federal Court order:

  • The Commission has authorized the filing of a motion and proposed order to modify the redress provision of a 1996 Stipulated Final Judgment entered by the U.S. District Court for New Jersey in FTC v. Sparta Chem et al. The defendants will be joining the FTC in this motion. The matter was part of the Commission's 1996 business supply sweep 'Operation Copy Cat.' The Stipulated Judgment required the defendants to pay $305,000 in consumer redress by December 6, 1996. The defendants, however, did not satisfy the judgment on time, so the Commission referred the matter to the U.S. Department of the Treasury for collection. They now have paid fully the outstanding judgment amount, but the passage of time has made it difficult to administer the redress distribution plan set forth in the 1996 order. Therefore, the parties have agreed to modify and simplify the redress distribution procedures. The proposed modified order provides that the Commission shall distribute to all consumers who were Sparta Chem customers during the relevant time in 1995-96 a pro rata refund. This will result in an average payment of approximately $100 per consumer.
  • The Commission vote to file the proposed joint motion and modified order was 5-0. (File No. X960071; staff contact is Joel N. Brewer, Bureau of Consumer Protection, 202-326-2967; see press release dated November 27, 1996.)

Consent agreement given final approval:

  • Following a public comment period, the Commission has made final consent agreements with the following: Swisher International, Inc.; Consolidated Cigar Corporation; Havatampa, Inc.; General Cigar Holdings, Inc.; John Middleton, Inc.; Lane Limited; and Swedish Match North America, Inc. The Commission vote to finalize each consent order was 5-0. (File Nos. 002-3199, 002-3200, 002-3201, 002-3202, 002-3203, 002-3204, and 002-3205; staff contact is Lee Peeler, Bureau of Consumer Protection, 202-326-3090; see press release dated June 26, 2000.)

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; toll free: 877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357); TDD for the hearing impaired 1-866-653-4261. To find out the latest news as it is announced, call the FTC NewsPhone recording at 202-326-2710.

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