LabMD litigation against FTC lingers
Although the Federal Trade Commission won its effort to quash a lawsuit over its probe of LabMD, the now-defunct medical laboratory is still trying to sue three agency employees.
The pushback on convenience, resort and junk fees
Unexpected, surreptitious fees in retail transactions — additions like “convenience fees” and “resort fees” — have proliferated wildly over the past 30 years. When they aren’t clearly disclosed at the start of a transaction, their omission can deceive consumers and distort the purchase decision....
Current Issue: 821
Commissioner J. Thomas Rosch sees partisan squabbles ahead at FTC
FTC Commissioner J. Thomas Rosch, who has built a reputation for his independence during seven years on the commission, was in a reflective mood in a recent, wide-ranging interview with FTC:WATCH,...
Patent litigation gets attention of FTC, DOJ
FTC chairman Jon Leibowitz joked that he would resist using “a few colorful street names” for patent assertion entities as he opened a recent daylong workshop co-sponsored by the Justice Department...
FTC’s newest commissioner sworn in
For all the teeth-gnashing caused by the battle over the fiscal cliff, Joshua Wright, the newest FTC Commissioner, can look back fondly on all the political pyrotechnics. Wright, sworn in on...
Baer sworn in as new antitrust division chief
After persevering through the twists, turns and seeming interminable confirmation process in the U.S. Senate, William J. Baer finally was confirmed by a 64-26 vote on December 30 to be assistant...
FTC:WATCH special report UBS, part VII: David Rubin takes the stand
Almost every large financial institution in the world was on the take, stealing money from U.S. taxpayers, according to an FTC:WATCH analysis of testimony in the month-long trial of three key...
Leibowitz’s legacy will be colored by no-go decision on Google
At the press conference at which he announced the Federal Trade Commission’s unanimous decision not to pursue an antitrust case against Google, FTC chairman Jon Leibowitz acknowledged some...