Updates in FTC and California's Continuing Enforcement of Continuity Programs
Thought that the FTC and California planned to cool off on enforcing trial and subscription programs? Think again. The FTC and California continue to bring these actions with alarming regularity.
For those of you who haven't been tracking these issues, last year California's Automatic Renewal Law was amended to tighten the restrictions on continuity programs. The amendments increased restrictions on companies providing trial or discounted introductory programs, and required companies to provide an "exclusively online" cancellation mechanism for consumers who originally accepted the service agreement online.
Wait – So There Is No "Viagra for the Brain?" FTC Yet Again Bars Dietary Supplement Sellers from Making Unsupported Cognitive Claims
Consumers over 50 are on an endless quest for things that make us feel, look, or perform like younger versions of ourselves. Marketers aware of how aging demographics are tuned into this quest. The FTC has been especially vigilant in policing claims that dietary supplements, especially in the cognitive and memory space, can turn back the clock (for additional reading on the FTC's history with unsubstantiated cognitive claims, check out our previous blog posts on Prevagen, 5-Hour ENERGY®, Brain Training, Lumosity, Word Smart, and Your Baby Can Read). Last week, the FTC reached a $25 million settlement with four individuals and their companies that sold supplements touted as "Viagra for the Brain" and promising to increase users' cognitive abilities (see the settlement orders here). The case provides a guide of what not to do in selling dietary supplements.
To Be an Ad or Not to Be an Ad: That is the Question
You want to start taking supplements, so you turn to a guide containing consumer reviews. Is the guide just a collection of advertisements? Last month, the Southern District of California again confronted this question, and also took into consideration whether the reviews should be afforded First Amendment protection. The court reiterated its prior finding that the Lanham Act does not apply to a nutritional supplement guide that faced a false advertising challenge.