Posts from November 2017.

The Advertising Law Blog provides commentary and news on developing legal issues in advertising, promotional marketing, Internet, and privacy law. This blog is sponsored by the Advertising, Marketing & Promotions group at Olshan. The practice is geared to servicing the needs of the advertising, promotional marketing, and digital industries with a commitment to providing personal, efficient and effective legal service.

An online lingerie marketer has agreed to settle charges brought by the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), claiming that the company engaged in deceptive conduct when it enrolled consumers in a negative-option membership program without fully disclosing how the ongoing charges may be applied, in addition to making it difficult for those consumers to opt out of the program.  The FTC charged the company’s subscription model and cancellation procedures violated Section 5 of the FTC Act and the Restore Online Shopper’s Confidence Act (“ROSCA”).

A recent decision highlights the risk in relying on confidential support, as well the difficulty in substantiating extraordinary cosmetic benefit claims. Benefit Cosmetics recently challenged Too Faced Cosmetics’ advertising before NAD. The challenge was focused on Too Faced’s mascara advertising claims relating to clinic studies, the degree to which the product increased eyelash volume, and the representations made in the advertiser’s use of “before” and “after” comparative photographic demonstrations.  

Online review websites typically offer reviewers the ability to post their views anonymously.  Given the lack of transparency, many times the subject business is unable to meaningfully address the allegations levied against it because it may not know the details of the reviewer’s experience.  A recent Ninth Circuit decision, may portend a change in the ability to hide a reviewer’s identity.  

Many marketers rely on advance consent auto-renewal programs, particularly for online subscription sign-ups.   In the wake of the booming subscription-based business model and a rise in class action filings under state automatic renewal laws, many states are enacting or updating their laws to strengthen consumer protection.  California’s recently enacted Senate Bill 313 enhances what was already one of the most stringent auto-renewal laws in the nation.

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