New FTC Rule Revises Disclosure Procedures
February 28, 2007
The recently released final FTC Rule ('New Rule') on franchising is notable not only for the revised disclosure requirements in Items 1 through 23, but also for the changes it makes to the franchise disclosure process.
Earnings Claims and the Amended FTC Disclosure Rule: Lamenting a Lost Opportunity
February 28, 2007
Let's not be overly critical of the Amended FTC Disclosure Rule, which was promulgated in January 2007 after being 10 years in the development stage. As Stephen Toporoff of the Federal Trade Commission ('FTC') has convinced me in recent discussions, amending a federal regulation is an arduous task. In this instance, it required an extensive amount of background research on the history of the original Disclosure Rule, several hearings, careful review of the hundreds of comments, careful examination of the UFOC Guidelines and their origins and assumptions, comparing them with the original Disclosure Rule's format, and testing in many cases the care and thought that went behind the original language of the UFOC Guidelines. The Amended Disclosure Rule was no shot from the hip. In light of this background information, and considering simply the politics of federal agencies, it is not very surprising that it took a decade for the FTC to issue the Amended Disclosure Rule.
Q&A with Steven Toporoff, Franchise Program Coordinator, FTC
February 28, 2007
No one in the federal government is more closely associated with the New Franchise Rule ('New Rule' or 'amended Rule') than Steven Toporoff, franchise program coordinator, Federal Trade Commission ('FTC'). Since the review process began more than a decade ago, Toporoff has fielded comments about how the Commission can improve franchising regulations for the benefit of franchisors, franchisees, and prospective franchisees. Now, with the New Rule released in final form, Toporoff has the dual challenges of educating the franchise industry and consumers about the new provisions, while also ensuring compliance with its standards. In this Q&A, FBLA speaks with Toporoff about what the New Rule contains (and does not contain), and how the FTC is reaching out to the franchise industry to ensure a smooth transition over the next 16 months.
An Overview of the New FTC Rule
February 28, 2007
On Jan. 22, 2007, after more than a decade of study, the FTC released its long-anticipated new Federal Trade Commission Rule on Franchising (the 'New Rule'). The New Rule comes into effect on a voluntary basis on July 1, 2007, with compliance becoming mandatory on July 1, 2008. Additional compliance guides are expected by July 1, 2007. Franchisors will have to make significant changes to their existing disclosure documents and follow new rules for how and when they are delivered to prospective franchisees.
Verdicts
February 28, 2007
Recent rulings of importance to you and your practice.
Hospital Allowed to Keep Report from Disclosure
February 28, 2007
In a decision that could influence discovery in federal medical-device products liability litigation, a Magistrate Judge in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York has held that a state-law provision designed to encourage hospitals to maintain quality assurance and infection control programs without fear of litigation can be invoked to block disclosure of hospital records even where there is, at most, an indirect threat of a malpractice suit and where the…
Med Mal News
February 28, 2007
National news you need to know.
