The Direct Marketing Association issued a warning about new powers about to be given to the Federal Trade Commission under The Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009 (H.R. 4173).H.R. 4173 passed in the House. The Senate is now considering tackling the same issues. The bill would increase the authority of the FTC to issue regulations even though it abused that authority in the past, and had to be reined in. The bill would authorize the FTC to use its own attorneys in litigation rather than using presumably more objective and professional Justice Department attorneys. H.R. 4173 would also make advertising agencies subject to charges of aiding and abetting violations by their clients for which they prepare ads, which will chill the work of ad agencies and create a new need for advertising malpractice insurance, further driving up advertising costs.The bill would allow the FTC to seek fines to deter violations rather than just to correct past violations, sort of like the...(Read Full Post)