Judging from the ten warning letters mailed to data brokers this week and the six we detailed last month, it is clear that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is taking violations of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) very seriously. These warning letters come on the heels of the FTC’s decision in December of last year to […]
FTC Issues Warning Letters to Data Brokers Read More »
The most popular multilevel marketing (“MLM”) companies and brands have attained near-cultural icon status: Amway, Herbalife, Mary Kay, and Shaklee. Many Americans are familiar with these brands, as well as some of the lesser-known variations that might have been introduced by an overzealous acquaintance, through an infomercial, or via the Internet. The popularity of the
Multilevel Marketing: How to Avoid Building the Pyramid Read More »
Class action complaints alleging violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) are on the rise. This is particularly true with respect to short message service (“SMS”) or text message marketing. The TCPA is a “strict liability” statute. This means that a violation of the TCPA imposes liability on the offender regardless of intent. Many
Service Providers May Not Be Liable for Some TCPA Violations Read More »
A case the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) has been investigating for more than two (2) years was settled last month. For several years, the FTC received numerous complaints that prepaid phone cards sold by DR Phone Communications, Inc., also doing business as drphonecom.com (“DR Phone”), contained far fewer long distance phone minutes than were advertised.
FTC Settles Case Against Prepaid Phone Cards Read More »
New and Improved Federal Online Poker Bill Despite the lack of support for a federal online poker bill introduced last year in the US Senate (as drafted by Senators Harry Reid (D-NV) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ)) there are reports that Rep. Peter King (R-NY) will be introducing a new federal online poker bill that seeks
New Federal Online Poker Bill? Read More »
Lawsuits concerning alleged misuse of personally identifiable information (“PII”) are on the rise. According to the United States General Services Administration, PII “refers to information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, either alone or when combined with other personal or identifying information that is linked or linkable to a specific
Recent Lawsuits Over Personally Identifiable Information Read More »
Two new developments are taking shape today. This morning, the first legal online poker site in more than two years, UltimatePoker.com, went live in Nevada. And In New York, new life has been breathed into a floundering bill that would authorize brick and mortar casinos within the State. Online Poker in the U.S. Goes Live
Recent Developments in Online Poker in Nevada and New York Read More »
Deceptive Marketing Allegations Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson has entered into a voluntary court-ordered agreement with T-Mobile addressing alleged deceptive marketing associated with T-Mobile’s campaign promoting “no restrictions,” “no annual contract” wireless service plans. According to Ferguson, the “no contract” claim is deceptive because there are, potentially, hidden costs and penalties. For example, if
Recent T-Mobile Deceptive Marketing Case Read More »