Rapper 50 Cent Settles with Plastic Surgery Clinician -
Claims clinic owner used snapshot to suggest ... something embarrassing -
A Question You Wouldn’t Ask in Person -
50 Cent—rapper, TV producer, actor—once...more
U.S. Copyright Office Keeps AI Out in the Cold -
Only humans can copyright, Office says -
Daisy, Daisy, Give Me Your Answer True -
The Copyright Office has weighed in with long-anticipated statement of policy...more
4/17/2023
/ Advertising ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Authorship ,
Consumer Complaint System ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Applications ,
Copyright Office ,
Copyright Registration ,
Copyright Terms ,
E-Commerce ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Food Labeling ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Machine Learning ,
Mobile Apps ,
Music ,
New Guidance ,
Product Labels ,
Royalties ,
Song Lyrics ,
Subscription Services
Advertisers likely recall that back in 2021, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) created quite the stir when it sent to more than 700 companies warning letters that threatened penalties if companies engaged in deceptive...more
4/14/2023
/ Advertising ,
Civil Monetary Penalty ,
Enforcement ,
Enforcement Actions ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Health Claims ,
Marketing ,
Product Labels ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices ,
Warning Letters
There are some stories that we cover whose underlying facts just teeter on the edge of being a fully formed Onion article....more
For those who haven’t been following Federal Trade Commission (FTC or Commission) news too closely for the past few weeks, there has been lots of turmoil and drama. A few weeks ago – on Valentine’s Day, no less – Commissioner...more
Consumer Sues Pyrex Maker for False Made-in-the-States Claims -
New class actions pick up where the FTC left off -
Tempest in a Ten-Piece Glass Meal Prep Set -
We love false made-in-the-USA claim narratives. They...more
3/10/2023
/ CAFA ,
Costco ,
Dietary Supplements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Made in the USA ,
Magnuson-Moss Act ,
Mobile Devices ,
NAD ,
PFAS ,
Product Labels ,
Recycling ,
Robocalling ,
TCPA
So our holiday gift from the FTC, which flew a bit under the radar if you ask us, was the Health Products Compliance Guide. This was quietly heralded as an update to the 1998 Dietary Supplement Advertising Guides, but oh dear...more
Late last year, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced it was examining the Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims, better known as the Green Guides. Consumer and industry interest in green marketing is...more
We always look forward to the thoughtful and data-rich report National Appeals Division (NAD) issues each year summarizing the work it has accomplished in the past year. Some of the data can be a bit difficult to parse, as...more
Getty Images Sues AI Image Generator for Copyright Violations -
The intersection of artificial intelligence and copyright law is still being mapped....more
2/24/2023
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Artists ,
Blockchain ,
Breach Notification Rule ,
Class Action ,
Copyright ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cryptoassets ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Getty Images ,
NAD
We all know Mark Cuban has got it going on. One of the original tech bros, he made his fortune investing in early online streaming services. And is super famous for being rich, owning the Dallas Mavericks, being on Shark...more
You make soap, and you come out with a new scent. Then, due to supply issues, you need to change fragrance manufacturers but are confident the new fragrance is almost identical to the old fragrance. Can you use reviews of...more
I love the Superbowl. I couldn’t give a toss about football. I am there for the snacks, the snacks and more snacks. And Rihanna (congrats, Mama!). And the ADS! Every year, we ad lawyers measure our worth by how many Superbowl...more
Game Developer Dodges Loot Box Suit -
In-app epi-games are not the same as slot machines, court says.
Again with the Noises and Bright Lights -
It’s been a while since we reported on defendant Supercell’s...more
2/10/2023
/ Anti-SLAPP ,
Artistic Works ,
Breach Notification Rule ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Coinbase ,
Cryptoassets ,
Data Breach ,
Data-Sharing ,
Endorsements ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
NYDFS ,
Personally Identifiable Information ,
PHI ,
Protected Activity ,
Sensitive Personal Information ,
Stock Options ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademarks ,
Twitter
Valentine’s Day is almost here, and it is time for the annual reminder from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that for those seeking love, scam artists are lurking, scheming, and trying hard to separate you from your...more
Introducing Our Secret Plan to Fight Inflation -
It’s simple: Don’t fall afoul of the FTC -
’Twas Ever Thus -
Every year, like the swallows returning to Capistrano, the Perseid meteor shower, or a Real Housewives...more
1/30/2023
/ Advertising ,
Competition ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Corporate Branding ,
Criminal Conspiracy ,
Criminal Convictions ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Cryptoassets ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Fashion Branding ,
Fashion Industry ,
FDA Approval ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Greenwashing ,
Money Laundering ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Product Labels ,
Restitution ,
UK ,
Unfair Competition ,
Warning Letters ,
Websites ,
Wire Fraud ,
Zara
FTC Opens Green Guide Revision for Public Comment -
It’s the first revision in a new, environmentally panicked time -
The Greatest Generation -
The ’90s were an active decade for Federal Trade Commission (FTC)...more
1/4/2023
/ Advertising ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Failure To Disclose ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Green Guides ,
Influencers ,
Marketing ,
Pending Legislation ,
Public Comment ,
Social Media ,
Subscription Services ,
TikTok ,
Truth in Advertising
20 Years Later, TTB Agrees to Revisit Alcohol Labeling -
Watchdogs claim a win, but are they being set up for a wait? Again?
Anticipation -
When last we left the doughty heroes of the Center for Science in the...more
12/19/2022
/ Advertising ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Class Action ,
Crypto Exchanges ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Influencers ,
NAD ,
Product Labels ,
Right of Publicity ,
Subscription Services ,
Trademark Trial and Appeal Board ,
Wine & Alcohol
Nothing says Holiday Season like the final public Federal Trade Commission meeting of the very long year. The lights are hung, joy is sort of in the air and we turn to our four commissioners for even more holiday cheer. Well...more
TTAB Emancipates “Queen of Christmas” from Mimi -
Mariah Carey lets mark registration go unchallenged -
Breakdown -
Mariah Carey takes a lot of guff for...strange behavior. We won’t review the stories here; poring...more
12/12/2022
/ Business Opportunity Laws ,
China ,
Class Action ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Copyright Litigation ,
Enforcement ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Gaming ,
Holidays ,
Music ,
Online Gaming ,
Place of Origin ,
Trademark Trial and Appeal Board ,
Trademarks ,
Unfair Competition ,
USPTO
So today’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC or Commission) meeting was a bit of a narrowly focused affair – all about the Business Opportunity Rule (Rule), which is a long-standing FTC rule that generally requires “business...more
Made-in-USA Shootout Leads to Jury Trial, $3.1 Million Judgment
Novelty glassware manufacturer weaponizes FTC guidance against rival -
Is Half Bulletproof Really a Thing?
For the uninitiated, the shot glass in...more
11/18/2022
/ Advertising ,
Competition ,
COPPA ,
Country of Origin ,
Dietary Supplements ,
FCC ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Health Claims ,
Lanham Act ,
Made in the USA ,
Marketing ,
Nutritional Supplements ,
Online Education ,
Product Labels ,
Robocalling ,
Technology Sector
Once Upon a Farm (OFarm) is an exemplary specimen of a now-familiar type of company - a self-proclaimed provider of “clean” baby food and snacks for older kids. OFarm’s packaging is what you’d expect: vivid, colorful graphics...more
Whether you’re a hardened business air warrior or someone who takes the occasional vacation flight, you’re conscientious. You understand that air travel makes a heavy contribution to CO2 emissions, and you’re wondering what...more
10/26/2022
/ Advertising ,
Airlines ,
Alcohol Beverage Control ,
Anti-SLAPP ,
Breach of Contract ,
Carbon Off-Set Credits ,
Copyright ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Corporate Branding ,
Fashion Branding ,
FCC ,
FDA Warning Letters ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Labeling ,
Lanham Act ,
Lululemon ,
Nutrition Facts Labels ,
Proprietary Information ,
Public Interest ,
Telecommunications ,
Travel ,
United Airlines ,
Voice Service Providers ,
Wine & Alcohol
If there were any question whether the current Federal Trade Commission (FTC) was reenacting the 1970s, that question has been put to rest. And unfortunately, it’s not about seeing Grace Jones, Liza Minnelli and Andy...more