Newsletters

04.29.20

FTC Sends Additional Warning Letters to Companies Over Coronavirus Claims

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that 21 additional letters were sent to companies in the United States concerning allegedly unsubstantiated claims that their products can treat or prevent COVID-19, and 10 letters were sent to multilevel marketing companies (MLMs) to remove and address ...


04.22.20

FTC Sends Ten Warning Letters Over Coronavirus Claims

On April 14, 2020, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sent warning letters to ten companies in the United States and overseas, in response to allegedly unsubstantiated claims that their products can treat or prevent the novel coronavirus.


04.08.20

Williams-Sonoma Reaches $1M Settlement With FTC

Williams-Sonoma Inc., which does business as Williams Sonoma, Williams Sonoma Home, Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn Kids, Pottery Barn Teen, West Elm, Rejuvenation, Outward and Mark & Graham, has agreed to stop making false, misleading and unsubstantiated claims that certain of its product lines are ...


03.31.20

DOJ’s First Coronavirus Fraud Action Targets ‘Vaccine Kits’

The Department of Justice (DOJ) took its first action to combat fraud related to the COVID-19 pandemic, scoring a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the unknown registrant of a website that purported to sell “vaccine kits.”


03.26.20

FDA, FTC Issue First COVID-19 Warnings

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent warning letters to seven companies for allegedly making claims that their products can treat or prevent the disease.


03.26.20

NAD Reports on Fast-Track Process

The National Advertising Division (NAD) provided a summary from recent meetings about the proposed procedures for the Fast-Track SWIFT (Single Well-defined Issue Fast Track) process, which the self-regulatory body expects to launch in spring 2020.  


03.18.20

Pain Relief Device Marketers to Pay $4M

The marketers of a pain relief device reached a deal with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), agreeing to pay at least $4 million and stop making the claims challenged by the agency as false and deceptive.  


03.18.20

NAD Brings Dog Supplement Claims to Heel

The marketer behind Doggie Dailies, a dietary supplement for dogs, voluntarily discontinued advertising claims for the product after an inquiry by the National Advertising Division (NAD).


03.10.20

Court Tosses False Ad Suit Challenging Literally True Claim

Labeling tangerine juice as having “no sugar added” did not constitute false advertising because the statement was accurate and did not imply that competing products do actually contain added sugar, a California appellate panel has ruled.


02.19.20

Pay-for-Play Website Pays FTC Over Fake Reviews, Deceptive Rankings

Deceptive rankings and fake reviews triggered a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) action for a comparison shopping website—and a warning to other companies.