Source: https://www.allaboutadvertisinglaw.com/tag/fcc
Timestamp: 2020-05-26 22:59:24
Document Index: 328693445

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 227', '§ 64', '§ 6151', '§ 310', '§ 6152', '§ 227']

FCC | All About Advertising Law
By Ian D. Volner on July 3, 2018
Most marketers are aware that the FCC has something to do with the regulation of computers and computing peripherals, products that are widely sold online. Unfortunately, marketers sometimes do not realize that the FCC’s rules also apply to a host of household devices such as coffeemakers, electric razors, car battery chargers, jewelry polishing devices, and similar electronic products that are also widely sold online. Even more problematic is that the FCC tends to take failure to comply with its rules governing these devices very seriously and can and does assess stiff fines for even innocent violations.…
Continue Reading Keep the FCC on Your Radar
By Annie H. Lee & Melissa Landau Steinman on September 21, 2015
Posted in FCC, Internet/Social Media, Sweepstakes/Promotions
Those that want to take advantage of the new Internet website option must comply with the requirements that the FCC lays out in the Report and Order, including: …
Continue Reading Hear! Hear! FCC Modernizes Contest Rules for Broadcasters
By Ian D. Volner, Laura Arredondo-Santisteban* & Mark Goodrich on February 17, 2015
On January 28th, fourteen Senators signed a letter to Chairman Wheeler at the FCC expressing “deep concerns” that the proposed changes being considered by the FCC would “undermine the intent and spirit of the TCPA.” The letter discussed the purpose of the TCPA, indicating that it was passed by Congress to protect consumers from intrusions into the home by telemarketers. Emphasizing the importance of broader protection for consumers, the letter explained that “by banning autodialing and pre-recorded calls to land lines and mobile phones, with certain exceptions, and establishing the National Do Not Call Registry, the law created a zone of privacy that remains hugely popular with consumers to this day.” In closing, the letter reiterated: …
Continue Reading Some Senators Make an Unsolicited Call to the FCC
TCPA Autodialers 101: What Makes an Autodialer and What’s Next from the FCC
By Ian D. Volner & Mark Goodrich on December 2, 2014
Telemarketers are all too aware that automatic telephone dialing systems (“autodialers”) are a hot topic in the litigation world. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”), 47 U.S.C. § 227, and the Federal Communications Commission’s (“FCC”) implementing rules, 47 C.F.R. § 64.1200, prohibit making any autodialed call or text message to cell phones without the called party’s prior express consent (with express written consent required for marketing calls). However, as we have noted previously, no one seems to know the full extent of devices that are properly classified as autodialers under the TCPA. As a result, parties have been fighting over the proper meaning of autodialer in the courts, and numerous petitions have been submitted to the FCC requesting clarification. As our TCPA Alert highlights, the lawsuits continue to pour in, while the FCC prepares clarifications and guidance that could remove some of the uncertainty.…
Continue Reading TCPA Autodialers 101: What Makes an Autodialer and What’s Next from the FCC
No Agency, No Claim: Taco Bell and the TCPA’s Vicarious Liability Standard
By Ellen T. Berge, Ian D. Volner & Mark Goodrich on July 23, 2014
With the FCC’s recent record fine of $7.5 million against Sprint Corp. for alleged Do-Not-Call violations, the more restrictive prior express written consent rule for marketing calls made to cell phones by an autodialer, and the continuous filing of class action complaints (See TCPA Update for recent filings), it is easy to understand why companies are wary of liability under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”). As we’ve discussed previously, general uncertainty around how to interpret certain provisions of the TCPA has resulted in numerous petitions being filed with the FCC.
Although many areas still require clarification, the law around vicarious liability under the TCPA continues to develop. Most recently, on July 2, 2014, the Ninth Circuit weighed in on Thomas v. Taco Bell Corp. in an unpublished decision that addresses vicarious liability under the TCPA. Let’s take a closer look.
Continue Reading No Agency, No Claim: Taco Bell and the TCPA’s Vicarious Liability Standard
Caller Beware: FCC’s Record “Do-Not-Call” Fine Highlights Liability Under TCPA
By Ian D. Volner & Mark Goodrich on June 6, 2014
Posted in FCC, FTC, Right of Privacy, Telemarketing
Over the past couple of months, we have been waving the caution flag in the air while attempting to warn businesses about the potential liability for violations under the TCPA. In our previous posts, we noted the numerous consumer lawsuits that have been filed against businesses throughout the country, a list which continues to grow on a weekly basis (see our TCPA Update for more recent filings). On May 19, 2014, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) announced a record $7.5 million fine against Sprint Corp. (“Sprint”) in a settlement for violations of the “Do-Not-Call” law, which should send a clear message to telemarketers that class actions are not the only threat to a telemarketer’s bottom line. Indeed, the FCC’s statement on the settlement explicitly states:
We expect companies to respect the privacy of consumers who have opted out of marketing calls. When a consumer tells a company to stop calling or texting with promotional pitches, that request must be honored. Today’s settlement leaves no question that protecting consumer privacy is a top enforcement priority.
First, a brief refresher of the “Do-Not-Call” law’s history and basic statutory framework may be helpful. Under 15 U.S.C. § 6151, the “Do-Not-Call Registry Act of 2003” went into effect in 2003, establishing a national registry for consumers to opt out of telemarketing calls for free. The statute formally ratified the FTC’s do-not-call registry provision of the Telemarketing Sales Rule, 16 C.F.R. § 310.4(b)(1)(iii). The “Do-Not-Call Implementation Act of 2003,” 15 U.S.C. § 6152 et seq. authorized the FCC to issue do-not-call regulations under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”), 47 U.S.C. § 227 et seq. As a result, in June 2003, the FCC supplemented its TCPA rules to also include a national Do-Not-Call list. As a result, businesses must comply with both FCC and FTC regulations when making telemarketing calls. Note that the FCC Guide on Unwanted Marketing Calls indicates the law applies only to personal landline and wireless phones—not business phones. The “Do-Not-Call” law also exempts calls made with express prior written consent, calls made by nonprofit organizations, or calls from a person or organization with an established business relationship. …
Continue Reading Caller Beware: FCC’s Record “Do-Not-Call” Fine Highlights Liability Under TCPA
By Ellen T. Berge, Ian D. Volner & Mark Goodrich on May 13, 2014
As we noted recently, there have been a number of new developments in the TCPA, as the FCC and courts continue to grapple with interpretation of the rules. On March 27, 2014, the FCC took steps toward addressing the backlog of petitions pending at the FCC, answering two petitions through declaratory rulings. In response …
A Watchful Eye Toward TCPA Filings
By Ian D. Volner & Mark Goodrich on April 24, 2014
With all of the recent litigation under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”), marketers are well aware that making telemarketing calls can be a tricky road to navigate. In October 2013, the Federal Communication Commission’s (“FCC”) new TCPA rule went into effect, requiring prior express written consent to call consumers for telemarketing purposes— a higher standard than its previous “prior express consent” standard. As we have written previously, a large number of cases under the old rule grappled with the meaning of what constituted prior express consent. Although the rule itself has changed, the number of questions surrounding the rule has not.…
Continue Reading A Watchful Eye Toward TCPA Filings