On April 23, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission voted 3 – 2, adopting a rule banning nearly all noncompete provisions that block workers from switching jobs within an industry, a decision that could possibly impact tens of millions of US
Federal Trade Commission
Update: FTC gets $13.4 million judgment against BlueHippo
Updating a prior post, on May 2, 2016, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced its receipt of a $13.4 million judgment against the CEO of BlueHippo, after the Second Circuit overturned the district court’s determination that BlueHippo’s damages…
FTC aims to modernize warranty requirements
The FTC has recently proposed amendments to the Disclosure Rule and Pre-Sale Availability Rule it issued under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, the federal law governing warranties on consumer products. These amendments come in response to the E-Warranty Act of 2015…
President Obama signs new online warranty law
President Obama has signed the E-Warranty Act of 2015 (PL 114-51). The new law amends the federal Magnuson-Moss Warranty Improvements Act (15 USC § 2302(b)) by permitting (not requiring) consumer product warranties to be made available online. If a consumer…
Court rules California “Made In USA” claims not actionable if only on product websites
We have been following California’s “Made in the USA” standard and recent cases interpreting it. While courts so far have been reluctant to dismiss claims at the pleading stage, last week a federal judge dismissed a class action claiming Lands’…
UPDATE: Recent jeans case confirms harsher “Made In USA” standards exist in California
Don’t tell bloggers about NAD wins
If a company sues a competitor about an advertisement that the company believes is false or misleading about the company’s product, a court victory is frequently cause for a press release, as well as announcements on social media and to…
The FTC & Bitcoin mining computers
On September 18, 2014, a federal trial court in Missouri granted the Federal Trade Commission’s ex parte motion for a temporary restraining order, asset freeze, and appointment of a receiver for Butterfly Labs. Butterfly Labs made claims on its web…
California closely scrutinizes “Made in the USA” claims
Labeling products as “Made in the USA” has seen increased popularity recently, as retailers and manufacturers attempt to capitalize on consumers’ desire to support domestic jobs and US-made goods. Despite the seeming cachet of these statements, they may open companies…
FTC and presumption of consumer reliance
Question: What’s the difference between $600,000 and $14 million in a contempt action? Answer: Presumption of consumer reliance, according to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in Federal Trade Commission v. BlueHippo Funding, LLC.
The case began in 2003,…