The proposed consent judgment the defendants have signed to settle these charges would prohibit them from engaging in similar law and rule violations, require them to comply with the Franchise Rule, impose the three-year bond requirement on the individual defendants, and bar all defendants from selling or transferring their franchise customer lists. The judgment also contains various reporting and record keeping provisions that would assist the FTC in monitoring the defendants' compliance. The Commission vote to authorize staff to file the proposed consent judgment in court was 5-0. It was filed this morning in U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut, in Hartford, and requires the court's approval to become binding. This consent judgment is for settlement purposes only and does not constitute an admission by the defendant of a law violation.
Consent judgments have the force of law when signed by the judge.