It is the False Claims Act (FCA) case that wouldn’t die. The complaint in United States ex rel. King v. Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc. was originally filed in 2006 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Through a series of partial summary …
As we previously reported, in April 2016, the FTC announced several settlements regarding all natural claims for cosmetic products. In addition, the FTC filed an administrative complaint against California Naturel, Inc., (the Company) for falsely advertising its sunscreen product as “all natural” in violation of …
Most of our readers come to the blog to read posts that are well-researched, provide thoughtful analysis, and often practical advice. This is not that post. This is a post that will be filled with rank speculation, perhaps a little wishful thinking, and a soupçon of …
By Riëtte van Laack – Last week, FTC announced a settlement agreement with Herbalife International of America Inc., Herbalife International, Inc. and Herbalife Ltd. (Herbalife) under which Herbalife is to pay 200 million dollars and restructure its business (see FTC press release here). In the Complaint …
By Jenifer R. Stach – The Federal Trade Commission announced that it will host a workshop, “Putting Disclosures to the Test” at the Constitution Center, 400 7th St SW, Washington, DC 20024 on September 15, 2016. The FTC stated that “[e]ffective disclosures are critical in helping consumers …
By Riëtte van Laack – “Native advertising” is advertising that looks like “news, feature articles, product reviews, entertainment, and other material surrounding it.” In the digital context, native advertising constitutes marketing material that is designed to mimic the look and feel of the host website. It …
By Riëtte van Laack – As we previously reported, POM Wonderful (“POM”) petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit for en banc review of that Court’s earlier decision which had largely upheld the FTC’s cease and desist order issued against POM. That petition was …
By Jennifer M. Thomas – As we indicated in our post last week, the District Court’s opinion in United States v. Bayer, unsealed on October 1, 2015, reads as a serious loss for the government. It is certainly a clear victory for Bayer. The Court’s opinion …
By Jennifer M. Thomas – On October 1, 2015, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey unsealed its opinion in United States v. Bayer Corp., No. 07-cv-00001 (D.N.J. Sept. 24, 2015), confirming a significant defeat for the government, and a clear victory for …
By James C. Shehan – Aficionados of pro wrestling can regale you with the exploits of tag teams like The Bruiser and the Crusher, The Wild Samoans and The Fabulous Freebirds. The moniker FDA-IRS-FTC is far less colorful and mellifluous than those of WWE stars, but …
By Ricardo Carvajal - FTC updated a Q&A on its Endorsement Guides, which set forth administrative interpretations of relevant provisions of the FTC Act as they apply to the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising (the Endorsement Guides were last updated in 2009 – see …
By Riëtte van Laack – The Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit overturned a contempt order against Hi-Tech, Jared Wheat, Stephen Smith, and Dr. Terrill Mark Wright (“Hi-Tech”) because, according to the Court, the order was incorrectly premised on collateral estoppel. As we discussed in a …
By John R. Fleder & Riëtte van Laack – On Friday, January 30, almost nine months after the oral argument, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued its Opinion in POM Wonderful Inc. v. FTC. We have previously blogged on this case (see …
By Riëtte van Laack – According to an FTC Complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, the advertising practices of NourishLife, an Illinois Company, and its owner, Mark Nottili, (“Defendants”) violated the FTC Act. The FTC alleges that Defendants …
By Jennifer M. Thomas – Last month, the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah dealt a significant blow to the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) when it denied FTC’s motion summary judgment in a case against Basic Research, LLC (“Basic Research”). The Court’s decision marks …
