Federal Trade Commission – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Federal Trade Commission (``Commission'') is amending the Appliance Labeling Rule to update ranges of comparability for compact clothes washers, refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers. In addition, the Commission announces that ranges of comparability for standard clothes washers will remain in effect until further notice. Finally, the Commission is issuing minor, technical amendments to update the definition of medium base compact fluorescent lamp and to correct a sample heat pump label in the Rule.

The information collection requirements described below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (``OMB'') for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (``PRA'') (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520). The FTC is seeking public comments on its proposal to extend through January 31, 2009 the current PRA clearances for information collection requirements contained in four consumer financial regulations enforced by the Commission. Those clearances expire on January 31, 2006.

The Federal Trade Commission announces the revised thresholds for interlocking directorates required by the 1990 amendment of Section 8 of the Clayton Act. Section 8 prohibits, with certain exceptions, one person from serving as a director or officer of two competing corporations if two thresholds are met. Competitor corporations are covered by Section 8 if each one has capital, surplus, and undivided profits aggregating more than $10,000,000, with the exception that no corporation is covered if the competitive sales of either corporation are less than $1,000,000. Section 8(a)(5) requires the Federal Trade Commission to revise those thresholds annually, based on the change in gross national product. The new thresholds, which take effect immediately, are $22,761,000 for Section 8(a)(1), and $2,276,100 for Section 8(a)(2)(A).

As part of its ongoing systematic review of all Federal Trade Commission rules and guides, the Commission gives notice that, during 2006, it intends to request public comments on the rules and guides listed below. The Commission will request comments on, among other things, the economic impact of, and the continuing need for, the rules and guides; possible conflict between the rules and guides and state, local, or other federal laws or regulations; and the effect on the rules and guides of any technological, economic, or other industry changes. No Commission determination on the need for or the substance of the rules and guides should be inferred from the notice of intent to publish requests for comments. In addition, the Commission announces a revised 10-year regulatory review schedule.

The information collection requirements described below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (``OMB'') for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (``PRA'') (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520). The FTC is seeking public comments on its proposal to extend through December 31, 2008 the current PRA clearances for information collection requirements contained in four product labeling rules enforced by the Commission. Those clearances expire on December 31, 2005.

The information collection requirements described below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (``OMB'') for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (``PRA'') (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520). The FTC is seeking public comments on its proposal to extend through November 30, 2008, the current PRA clearance for information collection requirements contained in its regulations under the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act, 15 U.S.C. 1451-1461 (``FPLA''). On October 14, 2005, the OMB granted the FTC's request for a short-term extension of this clearance to December 30, 2005.

The Federal Trade Commission is amending the premerger notification rules, which require the parties to certain mergers or acquisitions to file reports with the Commission and with the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (``DOJ'') and to wait a specified period of time before consummating such transactions, pursuant to Section 7A of the Clayton Act (``the Act''). The filing and waiting period requirements enable these enforcement agencies to determine whether a proposed merger or acquisition may violate the antitrust laws if consummated and, when appropriate, to seek a preliminary injunction in Federal court to prevent consummation. If either agency determines during the waiting period that further inquiry is necessary, it can issue a Request for Additional Information and Documentary Materials (``second request''), which extends the waiting period for a specified period after all parties have complied with the request (or, in the case of a tender offer or a bankruptcy sale, after the acquiring person complies). The Commission is amending the Notification and Report Form and its Instructions (``the Form and Instructions'') to relieve some of the burden when complying with Items 4(a) and (b). Currently, paper copies of annual reports, annual audit reports and regularly prepared balance sheets and copies of certain documents, such as 10Ks filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (``SEC''), must be provided in response to these Items. The modification of paragraph 803.2(e) will allow filing persons to provide an operative Internet address linking directly to the documents required by Items 4(a) and (b) in lieu of providing paper copies. The Commission is also amending the rules to specify that an acquiring person's notification, and an acquired person's notification in certain types of transactions, shall expire after eighteen months if a second request to either person remains outstanding. In addition, the Commission is making technical corrections to certain rules and to the Form and Instructions to address minor oversights in the final rules promulgated in connection with the treatment of unincorporated entities.\1\

The FTC intends to survey consumers to advance its understanding of the incidence of identity theft (``ID Theft'') and to allow the FTC to better serve the people who experience ID Theft and the law enforcement agencies that investigate and prosecute it. The survey is a follow-up to the FTC's ID Theft Survey conducted in March 2003 and released in September 2003. Before gathering this information, the FTC is seeking public comments on its proposed consumer research. The information collection requirements described below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (``OMB'') for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (``PRA'') (44 U.S.C. 3501- 3520).

The consent agreement in this matter settles alleged violations of federal law prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts or practices or unfair methods of competition. The attached Analysis to Aid Public Comment describes both the allegations in the draft complaint and the terms of the consent orderembodied in the consent agreementthat would settle these allegations.

Section 137 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 requires the Commission to conduct a rulemaking to examine the effectiveness of current energy efficiency labeling requirements for consumer products issued pursuant to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. In response to that directive, the Commission is seeking comments on the effectiveness of the Appliance Labeling Rule and suggestions for improvements to the energy labeling program. The Commission is also requesting comments about the overall costs and benefits of the Rule and its overall regulatory and economic impact as a part of the Commission's systematic review of all its regulations and guides.

The information collection described below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520). The FTC proposes to issue compulsory process orders to the largest cigarette manufacturers and smokeless tobacco manufacturers in order to obtain information from those companies concerning, inter alia, their sales and marketing expenditures.

The consent agreement in this matter settles alleged violations of Federal law prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts or practices or unfair methods of competition. The attached Analysis to Aid Public Comment describes both the allegations in the draft complaint and the terms of the consent orderembodied in the consent agreementthat would settle these allegations.

The consent agreement in this matter settles alleged violations of Federal law prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts or practices or unfair methods of competition. The attached Analysis to Aid Public Comment describes both the allegations in the draft complaint and the terms of the consent orderembodied in the consent agreementthat would settle these allegations.

Notice is hereby given of the appointment of members to the FTC Performance Review Board.

The information collection requirements described below will be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (``OMB'') for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (``PRA'') (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520). The FTC is seeking public comments on its proposal to extend through January 31, 2009 the current PRA clearances for information collection requirements contained in four consumer financial regulations enforced by the Commission. Those clearances expire on January 31, 2006.

The Federal Trade Commission is amending Sec. 4.14(b) of its Rules of Practice to provide that the number of Commissioners needed for a quorum will be a majority of those sitting and not recused in a matter.

The FTC is seeking public comments on its proposal to extend through December 31, 2008 the current Paperwork Reduction Act (``PRA'') clearance for information collection requirements contained in its Fuel Rating Rule (``Rule''). That clearance expires on December 31, 2005.

The Commission is proposing amendments to the premerger notification rules (``the rules'') to enable filing parties to provide Internet links to certain documents in lieu of paper copies, and to address ``stale filing'' situations, in which parties make premerger notification filings but then fail to comply with a Request for Additional Information and Documentary Material (``second request''). Section 7A of the Clayton Act (``the Act'') requires the parties to certain mergers and acquisitions to file notification with the Federal Trade Commission (``the Commission'' or ``FTC'') and the Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice (``the Assistant Attorney General'' or ``DOJ'') and to wait a specified period of time before consummating such transactions. The reporting and waiting period requirements are intended to enable these enforcement agencies to determine whether a proposed merger or acquisition may violate the antitrust laws if consummated and, when appropriate, to seek a preliminary injunction in Federal court to prevent consummation. If either agency determines during the waiting period that further inquiry is necessary, it can issue a second request, which extends the waiting period for a specified period after all parties have complied with the request (or, in the case of a tender offer or a bankruptcy sale, after the acquiring person complies). The Commission is proposing a change to relieve the burden of complying with Items 4(a) and (b) of the Notification and Report Form (``the Form''). Currently, paper copies of annual reports, annual audit reports and regularly prepared balance sheets and copies of certain documents, such as 10Ks filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (``SEC''), must be provided in response to these Items. The proposed modification would allow filing persons to provide an Internet address linking directly to the documents required by Items 4(a) and (b) in lieu of providing paper copies. The Commission is also proposing an amendment to the rules to specify that an acquiring person's notification, and an acquired person's notification in certain types of transactions, shall expire after eighteen months if a second request to them remains outstanding.

The consent agreement in this matter settles alleged violations of Federal law prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts or practices or unfair methods of competition. The attached Analysis to Aid Public Comment describes both the allegations in the draft complaint and the terms of the consent orderembodied in the consent agreementthat would settle these allegations.

Due to requests for additional time to prepare more comprehensive comments in response to the issues that were addressed by the public workshop, an amendment is being issued to the Notice Announcing Public Workshop: Marketing, Self-Regulation & Childhood Obesity to extend the time period during which persons may submit written comments on the workshop until August 12, 2005.