Podcast - The FTC Takes Action Against Old Southern Brass for False "Made in the USA" Claims
Podcast - FTC's Approach to Made in the USA Claims
Proposition 65 – Changes That Will Impact the Cannabis Sector
PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Trending Now: An IP Podcast - False and Misleading Advertising, Label Review
Cannabis Counsel Cast: What Cannabis Companies Need to Know About California’s Prop. 65 (Even if They Aren’t in California)
I Wish I Knew What I Know Now: Conversations with AGG on FDA Issues - Pandemic Marketing 101: Do’s and Don’ts to Market Your Brands, Products, and Services Safely
Blakes Continuity Podcast: Entering the COVID-19 Marketplace: Proceed with Care
Podcast: Non-binding Guidance: Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb’s Unfinished Business
The final quarter of the year is the alcohol industry’s busiest period, accounting for approximately 70% of annual business. Many holiday-themed seasonal products are beginning to make their way to market, and it is important...more
Under Illinois law, there are various statutes and regulations that set forth requirements and prohibitions for advertising, promotion, packaging, and labeling of cannabis and cannabis-infused products. These rules are...more
In August, a group of tobacco companies filed a petition for certiorari at the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking review of a lower court’s holding that the First Amendment does not prohibit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration...more
Trademarks are used to identify and distinguish an individual’s or entity’s goods or services from those manufactured or sold by others and to indicate the source of such goods or services. In contrast, and with respect to...more
Relatively few consumer class action cases reach trial; most are settled or resolved through motion practice. The paucity of cases tried to judgment makes it notable when, as in the case discussed here, one goes all the way...more
The Ninth Circuit recently upheld the dismissal of a putative class action finding that labeling Dove Dark Chocolate products as deriving from a “Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farm” did not mislead reasonable chocolate...more
The company behind social media phenomenon, Poppi Soda (“Poppi”) may be in fizzy waters for its claims the beverage provides prebiotic benefits to consumers....more
In 2020, plaintiffs filed a class action complaint in California federal court against Bigelow Tea, alleging that the company falsely represents that its teas are made in the United States, when the teas are actually grown...more
Last week, the FTC released an updated version of its Complying with the Made in USA Standard business guide. The heart of the guidance remains the same: if you expressly or implicitly state that a product is Made in the USA...more
In this episode of his "Clearly Conspicuous" podcast series, "The FTC Takes Action Against Old Southern Brass for False 'Made in the USA' Claims," consumer protection attorney Anthony DiResta examines Federal Trade Commission...more
A few weeks ago, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reached an agreement with Williams-Sonoma over a lawsuit alleging that it listed multiple products as being “Made in USA” that were made in China and other countries and...more
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is intensifying a crackdown on goods that are falsely or misleadingly marketed as “made in the USA.” Since the FTC, in its Made in USA Labeling Rule, 86 FR 27022 (July 14, 2021), 16 C.F.R...more
When it comes to consumer class action litigation, what type of evidence is required to show that labeling nutrition bars as "all natural" violates false advertising and consumer protection laws? According to the plaintiffs...more
Last Friday the FTC business blog reported the largest civil penalty received in a case involving the FTC’s Made in USA labeling rule. In 2022, Williams-Sonoma, Inc., entered into an administrative order with the Federal...more
The terms vegetarian and vegan are becoming more common. Initially, how to be a practicing vegetarian or vegan was the focus. Now, these terms are used to describe not only a lifestyle, but foods, cosmetics, and clothing. ...more
Our notable ruling roundup aims to keep our readers up to date on recent rulings in the food & consumer packaged goods space. Nancy McCoy v. Nestlé USA, Inc., No. 3:23-cv-02218-MCR-HTC (N.D. Fla. – February 1, 2024): The...more
The National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Better Business Bureau (BBB) recently reminded advertisers that tout the benefits and health-related features of their products to be mindful of the Federal Trade Commission’s...more
One of the worst-kept secrets among the plaintiffs’ bar is that claims like “pure” and “natural” on consumer-product labels can lead to class-action claims. Two recent court decisions denying motions to dismiss underscore the...more
Two consumers walked into supermarkets on a mission to find “nutritious, healthy snacks” that “would not likely increase [their] risk of disease” and later walked out with Fruit Bowls in Gel, Fruit Bowls in Juice, Canned...more
In 2023, the Federal Court of Canada released its decision in Energizer Brands, LLC and Energizer Canada Inc. v. Gillette Company (2023 FC 804). The decision clarifies some of the laws applicable to comparative advertising in...more
Our Food & Beverage Team reports good news for the industry: product labels can follow either the Food and Drug Administration’s current version or any new version of a rule defining “healthy.”...more
What You Need To Know In A Minute Or Less - A recent rise in class-action complaints against beauty industry leaders, targeting the use of “clean” or “natural” descriptions in cosmetics, further highlights the tightrope...more
Many alcohol beverage industry clients are faced with lawsuits attacking product labels. These lawsuits can be frustrating for clients, particularly when the labels at issue were previously approved by the Alcohol and Tobacco...more
Takeaway: Is a label clearly false or only ambiguously false? Where a label is ambiguous – and therefore subject to an interpretation that would render it deceptive – the ambiguity can be clarified by fine print. The fine...more
Marketers of yogurt products may celebrate the latest approval by the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) of a new qualified health claim related to the consumption of yogurt and type 2 diabetes. However, producers of such...more