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

Summary

If a maker, wholesaler, or retailer of gold or silver jewelry or silverware knowingly breaks the rules in sections 294–300, they can be charged with a misdemeanor. Corporate officers, managers, or agents who know about the wrong and take part in it or agree to it can also be charged. On conviction in a U.S. district court they can be fined up to $500, jailed up to three months, or both. If the offense starts in one district and finishes in another, it can be handled in either district. Competitors, customers, or later buyers harmed by violations of sections 294–297 can ask a U.S. district court where the defendant lives or has an agent for a court order to stop the violation, sue without worrying about the amount in dispute, and recover damages plus court costs and a reasonable lawyer’s fee. An organized jewelry trade association can sue the same way and recover costs and fees, but if the court finds the suit was frivolous, meant to harass, or to restrain trade it may award punitive damages to the defendant. If a civil case ends without a finding that the defendant violated the law, the defendant can recover defense costs and a reasonable lawyer’s fee. Only federal district courts can start these civil cases.

Title 15, §298

Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Each and every person, firm, corporation, or association, being a manufacturer of or a wholesale or retail dealer in gold or silver jewelry, gold ware, silver goods, or silverware, who or which shall knowingly violate any of the provisions of sections 294 to 300 of this title, and every officer, manager, director, or managing agent of any such corporation or association having knowledge of such violation and directly participating in such violation or consenting thereto, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof in any court of the United States having jurisdiction of crimes within the district in which such violation was committed or through which has been conducted the transportation of the article in respect to which such violation has been committed, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $500 or imprisonment for not more than three months, or both, at the discretion of the court. Whenever the offense is begun in one jurisdiction and completed in another it may be dealt with, inquired of, tried, determined, and punished in either jurisdiction in the same manner as if the offense had been actually and wholly committed therein.

(b)Any competitor, customer, or competitor of a customer of any person in violation of section 294, 295, 296, or 297 of this title, or any subsequent purchaser of an article of merchandise which has been the subject of a violation of section 294, 295, 296, or 297 of this title, shall be entitled to injunctive relief restraining further violation of sections 294 to 300 of this title and may sue therefor in any district court of the United States in the district in which the defendant resides or has an agent, without respect to the amount in controversy, and shall recover damages and the cost of suit, including a reasonable attorney’s fee.

(c)Any duly organized and existing jewelry trade association shall be entitled to injunctive relief restraining any person in violation of section 294, 295, 296, or 297 of this title from further violation of sections 294 to 300 of this title and may sue therefor as the real party in interest in any district court of the United States in the district in which the defendant resides or has an agent, without respect to the amount in controversy, and if successful shall recover the cost of suit, including a reasonable attorney’s fee. If the court determines that the action has been brought frivolously, for purposes of harassment, or in implementation of any scheme in restraint of trade, it may award punitive damages to the defendant.

(d)Any defendant against whom a civil action is brought under the provisions of sections 294 to 300 of this title shall be entitled to recover the cost of defending the suit, including a reasonable attorney’s fee, in the event such action is terminated without a finding by the court that such defendant is or has been in violation of sections 294 to 300 of this title.

(e)The district courts shall have exclusive original jurisdiction of any civil action arising under the provisions of sections 294 to 300 of this title.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1970—Pub. L. 91–366 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsecs. (b) to (e).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1970 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 91–366 effective three months after July 31, 1970, see section 4 of Pub. L. 91–366, set out as a note under section 297 of this title. SeparabilityFor separability provision of Pub. L. 91–366, see section 2 of Pub. L. 91–366, set out as a note under section 297 of this title.

Construction

of 1970 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 91–366 to be held to be in addition to and not in substitution for or limitation of the provisions of any other Act of the United States, see section 3 of Pub. L. 91–366, set out as a note under section 297 of this title.

§298 Violations of Law