While class actions centered around “natural” claims remain popular with the plaintiffs’ bar, this past year has seen some growing skepticism from courts towards such lawsuits, particularly where plaintiffs fail to adequately...more
This past Friday, the Second Circuit reversed a lower court’s denial of a motion to compel arbitration in a putative consumer class action against fintech company Klarna. Edmundson v. Klarna, Inc., Case No. 22-557-cv (2d...more
This week the FTC announced that it finalized its revisions to the Endorsement Guides, which give advertisers guidance on ensuring that their use of endorsements or testimonials complies with the FTC Act. At the same time,...more
7/3/2023
/ Advertising ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Endorsements ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC Act ,
FTC Endorsement Guidelines ,
Influencers ,
Marketing ,
Online Endorsements ,
Social Media ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
It has been almost 40 years since Bruce Springsteen first famously celebrated being American-made with his hit "Born in the USA."
From an advertising industry perspective, this song's lasting popularity is no surprise;...more
1/17/2023
/ Advertising ,
Class Action ,
Department of Agriculture ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Made in the USA ,
Misleading Statements ,
Penalties ,
Product Labels ,
USDA
Judge Richard Seeborg of the Northern District of California recently dismissed a putative class action alleging that Sprout Foods’s nutritional claims on its baby and toddler food labels misled consumers into believing that...more
Judge Cathy Seibel of the Southern District of New York recently dismissed a putative class action lawsuit challenging various environmental impact and animal welfare claims made by Allbirds in ads for its wool shoes. In...more
2021 saw well over 500 new class actions in the advertising space. With the number of these cases increasing, it is more important than ever for businesses to stay on top of the latest trends, including the types of products...more
Stone Brewing has used STONE as a trademark since the early 1990s, and has since become the largest brewery in Southern California and ninth largest craft brewery in the U.S. Fast forward to 2017, when MillerCoors rebranded...more
Continuing our “On Notice” series about the FTC’s Notice of Penalty Offenses Concerning Endorsements, we address the FTC’s prohibition against using testimonials to (1) make or imply unsubstantiated or otherwise deceptive...more
1/12/2022
/ Advertising ,
Endorsements ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC Endorsement Guidelines ,
Influencers ,
Marketing ,
Online Endorsements ,
Online Platforms ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Testimonial Statements ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
Continuing our series on the FTC’s Notice of Penalty Offenses Concerning Endorsements, this post considers the FTC’s statement that it is unlawful under Section 5 of the FTC Act “for an advertiser to continue to advertise an...more
12/10/2021
/ Advertising ,
Celebrity Endorsements ,
Competition ,
Endorsements ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC Act ,
FTC Endorsement Guidelines ,
Marketing ,
NAD ,
Online Endorsements ,
Section 5 ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
As discussed in our earlier post, on October 13, 2021, the FTC issued “Notice of Penalty Offenses” letters to more than 700 companies, placing them on notice of civil penalties up to $43,792 per violation if they use...more
10/29/2021
/ Endorsements ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Fake Reviews ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC Endorsement Guidelines ,
Marketing ,
Online Reviews ,
Section 5 ,
Testimonial Statements ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
The great pizza wars of 2021 are not what you might expect. While the courts will never be able to resolve the question of who (or where) makes the best pie, a pair of decisions from the last few weeks did resolve contentious...more
A Third Circuit panel recently affirmed a Pennsylvania district court decision in favor of defendant Innovative Designs (“IDI”) in an advertising challenge by the FTC. We previously blogged about the district court decision,...more
We recently blogged about Champion Petfoods’ success in a Minnesota district court case alleging that it misrepresented the quality of its dog food and ingredients. Well, Champion Petfoods came back to defend its title in...more
8/11/2021
/ Advertising ,
Animal Food ,
Article III ,
Class Action ,
Evidence ,
False Advertising ,
Food Labeling ,
Food Manufacturers ,
Food Marketing ,
Lack of Evidence ,
Misleading Impressions ,
Standing ,
Summary Judgment
Earlier this year, we blogged about the Supreme Court’s decision in AMG v. FTC, which significantly curtailed the FTC’s ability to seek monetary restitution under Section 13(b) of the FTC Act. One quick update there: The...more
8/5/2021
/ Advertising ,
AMG Capital Management LLC v FTC ,
Cancellation Rights ,
Damages ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC Act ,
FTCA Section 13(b) ,
Goods or Services ,
Injunctive Relief ,
Internet Retailers ,
ROSCA ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
In a unanimous precedential decision, a Ninth Circuit panel recently affirmed the dismissal of a putative class action against Trader Joe’s, which alleged that the statement “Up to 5% Retained Water” on Trader Joe’s poultry...more
The Eighth Circuit recently affirmed the dismissal of a class action alleging that Unilever’s differential pricing of men’s and women’s antiperspirants violated the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act (MMPA). In doing so,...more
In a recent opinion out of the Southern District of New York, Judge William H. Pauley III certified three classes of plaintiffs in New York, California, and Florida who allege that KIND LLC, the manufacturer of KIND Bars,...more
5/26/2021
/ Advertising ,
All Natural ,
Class Action ,
Class Certification ,
Corporate Counsel ,
False Advertising ,
Food Labeling ,
Food Marketing ,
Nutrition Facts Labels ,
Predominance Requirement ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
The FTC recently held a workshop titled “Bringing Dark Patterns to Light,” a recording of which can be found at the following link. The workshop centered around exploring the effects of digital “dark patterns” on consumers...more
The Fourth Circuit recently overturned a district court’s decision to apply an analogous state law statute of limitations to bar a claim for false advertising under § 43(a) of the Lanham Act. In doing so, the Court held that...more
Now that 2020 is in the rearview mirror (*collective sigh of relief*), we wanted to share our perspective on notable decisions and trends from this past year at the National Advertising Division and the advertising...more
1/29/2021
/ Advertising ,
Beverage Manufacturers ,
Consumer Product Companies ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Dietary Supplements ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Food Labeling ,
Health Claims ,
Labeling ,
Marketing ,
NAD ,
NARB ,
Personal Care Products
Now that 2020 is in the rearview mirror (*collective sigh of relief*), we wanted to share our perspective on notable decisions and trends from this past year at the National Advertising Division and the advertising...more
1/28/2021
/ Advertising ,
Beverage Manufacturers ,
Consumer Product Companies ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Dietary Supplements ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Food Labeling ,
Health Claims ,
Labeling ,
Marketing ,
NAD ,
NARB ,
Personal Care Products
Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California recently dismissed with prejudice a putative class action alleging that the Omni luxury hotel chain deceptively advertised its...more
While 2020 was an eventful year in the world of advertising law, it feels wrong to begin any type of “year in review” without acknowledging the global events of this year, and the challenges they have brought to every...more
1/13/2021
/ Advertising ,
Appeals ,
Appellate Courts ,
Class Action ,
Counterfeiting ,
Disgorgement ,
False Advertising ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Food Labeling ,
Lanham Act ,
Marketing ,
Product Labels ,
Romag Fasteners v Fossil ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
The Ninth Circuit recently upheld a decision granting a motion to dismiss a putative class action challenging the accuracy of “natural” labeling on soap products made by Grisi Mexico, where the lawsuit was filed against the...more