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Once you’ve submitted a Hart-Scott-Rodino filing to the FTC’s Premerger Notification Office, make sure you receive official confirmation that your filing has been received. We’ve compiled important tips on communications regarding the status of filings and the applicable waiting period. As most antitrust practitioners know, the HSR Act requires the parties to a reportable transaction to notify the FTC and our sister agency, the Department of...

Many consumers experience sticker shock when they total up what they pay each month for television, add-on channels, satellite programming, streaming services, and the vast array of other content they buy. So it’s no surprise that people thinking about cutting the cord were drawn to claims by New York-based Wellco, Inc., and CEO George Moscone that the company’s TV antennas would let users cancel their cable service and still get all of their...

On February 4, 2021, the �鶹��ý Trade Commission, with the support of the Department of Justice, announced the temporary suspension of granting early termination (ET) under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act and its implementing rules (HSR Act). This decision reflected a need to pause during the transition to a new administration combined with the unprecedented volume of HSR filings (HSR transactions for the month of February hit a 10-year high in 2021)...

The pandemic is still taking a toll on your customers, your employees – and your business. The new American Rescue Plan, just signed into law, gets the ball rolling to help out on many people’s financial well-being. Payments will soon be coming by direct deposit, checks, or a debit card to people eligible for the payment. You can learn more about who’s eligible, and the timing, at IRS.gov/coronavirus. Share that link with your staff to help keep...

Did you get a bill for a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan, but you didn’t apply for one? It’s possible that an identity thief applied for the loan using your personal or business information. The SBA has new guidance about reporting the fraud, and the FTC has tips to help you clear up any credit problems it may cause. The SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance has been issuing the loans under its COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)...

Consider those three little words that many people long to hear. “I love you?” No. This is the Business Blog and that would be weird. We’re talking about “Made in USA.” A proposed FTC settlement – including a financial judgment – with a marketer of promotional products reminds companies of the need to substantiate their Made in USA representations. Gennex Media LLC and owner Akil Kurji sell branded wristbands, lanyards, temporary tattoos, and...

Misleading tactics in the sale of magazine subscriptions is an illegal practice the FTC has challenged in numerous cases. But an action just filed by the FTC and the State of Florida focuses on a new audience allegedly targeted for deception: the families of people who are incarcerated and inmates themselves. The pending case also suggests compliance reminders that apply to companies in just about any industry. Inmate Magazine Service and owner...

You know those friendly calls from people contacting you on behalf of charities whose missions are close to your heart? According to the FTC and 46 agencies from 38 states and the District of Columbia, many of the 1.3 billion calls that telemarketer Associated Community Services (ACS) and related defendants placed to 67 million different phone numbers weren’t so friendly, weren’t from live operators, and didn’t result in consumers’ contributions...

Wondering what you can do to help protect consumers in your area? The FTC just launched an initiative aimed at partnering with legal aid organizations to expand outreach to lower-income members of the community. The goal: to connect people who have experienced fraud and other consumer problems with an easy way to report it and with advice to help them recover. The Community Advocate Center initiative provides a new way for groups that provide...

It’s like a scene from an Indiana Jones movie. Our hero enters a cave in search of treasure and every labyrinthine turn poses another unexpected hazard – trip-wired blades, runaway boulders, and snakes (“I hate snakes”). But we’re not talking about a rollicking adventure flick. We’re describing the experience of many online shoppers as they navigate some companies’ websites to avoid digital danger – for example, extra items showing up in a...