As readers of the blog know, we have written previously about the importance of periodically reviewing warranty language to avoid scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). This week, the FTC blog published another article entitled “The latest word of warranties.”
In the post, the FTC offered the following guidance:
If your business offers warranties,
…
The post below was written by my colleagues, Edward Heath and Kate Dion. Edward is my partner and is Chair of Robinson + Cole’s White-Collar Defense and Corporate Compliance Practice. Kate is a litigation associate who routinely handles government and internal investigations for manufacturing clients.
Ice cream maker Blue Bell Creameries has found…
Even if you’re well-versed in environmental statutes, one you might not spend a lot of time thinking about is the Toxic Substances Control Act, or TSCA. That’s because, with a few notable exceptions (PCBs being a good example), TSCA currently focuses on regulating new chemicals as they are introduced into commerce, or on significant…
Earlier this year, I wrote about efforts to reform the patent system to curtail abuses by “patent trolls.” Patent trolls do not manufacture anything. Rather, they often buy up patents and then bring lawsuits against businesses seeking to extract licensing fees. Last week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported on its blog that it had…
When it’s my turn to write the blog post, if I don’t already have a topic ready to go, I visit the EPA and OSHA websites, to see what’s “new” there. This is how why I found myself on EPA’s “Small Business Innovation Research” or “SBIR” page. This was after following a link to EPA’s…
The Connecticut Business & Industry Association (CBIA) is holding its annual Manufacturing Summit on Friday, May 30 in Cromwell, Connecticut. Our firm is proud to be a sponsor of the event, which will include discussion on topics such as: (1) the aerospace industry in Connecticut; (2) the 2014 Connecticut Manufacturing Workforce Survey; and (3)…
It’s Earth Day, April 22, 2014, and I’m an environmental attorney. So I felt compelled to make sure that my post this week focused on the environment and the efforts of the manufacturing community in improving our environment. The (relatively) easy part is done – companies comply with the various air, water and waste laws…
On March 13, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) announced the initial draft list of “priority products” under the state’s Safer Consumer Products program. Once the list is finalized, the program will requires companies to determine if there are less toxic alternatives to the chemicals in these consumer products.
The three “priority…
The words “manufacturer” and “innovation” often go together like “peanut butter” and “jelly.” Many manufacturers spend years developing processes and products that they then must protect by using the legal system such as through obtaining patents, trademarks, etc.
Over the past several years, many manufacturers have learned that there are entities in the marketplace known…
From a corporate compliance/litigation perspective, my watchlist includes 3-D printing (“additive manufacturing”) and the rise of consumer class actions particularly in the area of food and beverage and nutritional/dietary supplements and the impact those cases might have on all manufacturers and distributors.
3-D Printing / Additive Manufacturing:
Almost every day, I see some sort…
