§69a — Title 15 Commerce and Trade | U.S. Code

Summary

It is illegal to make, introduce, sell, advertise, offer for sale, transport, or distribute any fur or fur product in commerce if it is mislabeled, falsely advertised, or falsely invoiced. Doing any of those things counts as an unfair or deceptive business practice under the Federal Trade Commission Act. You may replace a required label with a correct one that meets the rules and may put your name on the new label. If you do, you must keep records showing what the old label said and who you got the fur from, and you must keep those records for at least three years. If you fail to keep the records, you can be fined $100 for each day you don’t keep them. Carriers simply shipping fur in the normal course of business are not covered by the rule against selling or moving mislabeled fur. Fur that comes from an animal someone trapped or hunted and is sold face-to-face by that person at a temporary spot (like a home or craft fair), when selling fur is not their main income, is also exempt.

Title 15, §69a

Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The introduction, or manufacture for introduction, into commerce, or the sale, advertising or offering for sale in commerce, or the transportation or distribution in commerce, of any fur product which is misbranded or falsely or deceptively advertised or invoiced, within the meaning of this subchapter or the rules and regulations prescribed under section 69f(b) of this title, is unlawful and shall be an unfair method of competition, and an unfair and deceptive act or practice, in commerce under the Federal Trade Commission Act [15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.].

(b)The manufacture for sale, sale, advertising, offering for sale, transportation or distribution, of any fur product which is made in whole or in part of fur which has been shipped and received in commerce, and which is misbranded or falsely or deceptively advertised or invoiced, within the meaning of this subchapter or the rules and regulations prescribed under section 69f(b) of this title, is unlawful and shall be an unfair method of competition, and an unfair and deceptive act or practice, in commerce under the Federal Trade Commission Act [15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.].

(c)The introduction into commerce, or the sale, advertising or offering for sale in commerce, or the transportation or distribution in commerce, of any fur which is falsely or deceptively advertised or falsely or deceptively invoiced, within the meaning of this subchapter or the rules and regulations prescribed under section 69f(b) of this title, is unlawful and shall be an unfair method of competition, and an unfair and deceptive act or practice, in commerce under the Federal Trade Commission Act [15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.].

(d)Except as provided in subsection (e) of this section, it shall be unlawful to remove or mutilate, or cause or participate in the removal or mutilation of, prior to the time any fur product is sold and delivered to the ultimate consumer, any label required by this subchapter to be affixed to such fur product, and any person violating this subsection is guilty of an unfair method of competition, and an unfair or deceptive act or practice, in commerce under the Federal Trade Commission Act [15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.].

(e)Any person introducing, selling, advertising, or offering for sale, in commerce, or processing for commerce, a fur product, or any person selling, advertising, offering for sale or processing a fur product which has been shipped and received in commerce, may substitute for the label affixed to such product pursuant to section 69b of this title, a label conforming to the requirements of such section, and such label may show in lieu of the name or other identification shown pursuant to section 69b(2)(E) of this title on the label so removed, the name or other identification of the person making the substitution. Any person substituting a label shall keep such records as will show the information set forth on the label that he removed and the name or names of the person or persons from whom such fur product was received, and shall preserve such records for at least three years. Neglect or refusal to maintain and preserve such records is unlawful, and any person who shall fail to maintain and preserve such records shall forfeit to the United States the sum of $100 for each day of such failure which shall accrue to the United States and be recoverable by a civil action. Any person substituting a label who shall fail to keep and preserve such records, or who shall by such substitution misbrand a fur product, shall be guilty of an unfair method of competition, and an unfair or deceptive act or practice, in commerce under the Federal Trade Commission Act [15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.].

(f)Subsections (a), (b), and (c) of this section shall not apply to any common carrier, contract carrier or freight forwarder in respect of a fur product or fur shipped, transported, or delivered for shipment in commerce in the ordinary course of business.

(g)No provision of this subchapter shall apply to a fur product—

(1)the fur of which was obtained from an animal through trapping or hunting; and

(2)when sold in a face to face transaction at a place such as a residence, craft fair, or other location used on a temporary or short term basis, by the person who trapped or hunted the animal, where the revenue from the sale of apparel or fur products is not the primary source of income of such person.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The Federal Trade Commission Act, referred to in text, is defined in section 69 of this title.

Amendments

2010—Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 111–313 added subsec. (g).

§69a Violations of Federal Trade Commission Act

Summary

Title 15, §69a

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Amendments

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