[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 191 (Tuesday, October 4, 2005)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 57807]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-19784]



[[Page 57807]]

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FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

16 CFR Part 23


Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries

AGENCY: Federal Trade Commission.

ACTION: Notice of extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: On July 6, 2005, the Federal Trade Commission (``FTC'' or 
``Commission'') requested public comments on whether the platinum 
section of the FTC's Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and 
Pewter Industries (``Jewelry Guides''), 16 CFR 23, should be amended. 
The Commission solicited comments until September 28, 2005. In response 
to a request from the Appraisal Information NetWork (``AI NetWork''), 
the Commission grants an extension of the comment period until October 
12, 2005.

DATES: Written comments will be accepted until October 12, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties are invited to submit written comments. 
Comments should refer to ``Jewelry Guides, Matter No. G711001'' to 
facilitate the organization of comments. A comment filed in paper form 
should include this reference both in the text and on the envelope, and 
should be mailed or delivered to the following address: Federal Trade 
Commission/Office of the Secretary, Room 135 (Annex Y), 600 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20580. Comments containing 
confidential material must be filed in paper form, must be clearly 
labeled ``Confidential,'' and must comply with Commission Rule 4.9(c). 
16 CFR 4.9(c) (2004).\1\
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    \1\ The comment must be accompanied by an explicit request for 
confidential treatment, including the factual and legal basis for 
the request, and must identify the specific portions of the comment 
to be withheld from the public record. The request will be granted 
or denied by the Commission's General Counsel, consistent with 
applicable law and the public interest. See Commission Rule 4.9(c), 
16 CFR 4.9(c).
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    Comments filed in electronic form should be submitted by clicking 
on the following: http://secure.commentworks.com/ftc-jewelry and 
following the instructions on the web-based form. To ensure that the 
Commission considers an electronic comment, you must file it on the 
web-based form at the http://secure.commentworks.com/ftc-jewelry. You 
also may visit http://www.regulations.gov to read this request for 
comment, and may file an electronic comment through that website. The 
Commission will consider all comments that regulations.gov forwards to 
it.
    The FTC Act and other laws the Commission administers permit the 
collection of public comments to consider and use in this proceeding as 
appropriate. All timely and responsive public comments, whether filed 
in paper or electronic form, will be considered by the Commission, and 
will be available to the public on the FTC website, to the extent 
practicable, at http://www.ftc.gov. As a matter of discretion, the FTC 
makes every effort to remove home contact information for individuals 
from the public comments it receives before placing those comments on 
the FTC website. More information, including routine uses permitted by 
the Privacy Act, may be found in the FTC's privacy policy, at http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/privacy.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Neil Blickman, Attorney, Division of 
Enforcement, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission, 
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20580, (202) 326-3038.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 6, 2005, the Commission published in 
the Federal Register a request for public comments on whether to amend 
the platinum section of the Jewelry Guides, 16 CFR Part 23 (70 FR 
38834). Specifically, the Federal Register notice solicited public 
comments on whether the platinum section of the Commission's Jewelry 
Guides should be amended to provide guidance on how to mark or non-
deceptively describe products containing between 500 and 850 parts per 
thousand pure platinum and no other platinum group metals.
    On September 15, 2005, the Commission staff received a request for 
an extension of the comment period from the AI NetWork.\2\ The AI 
NetWork maintains that many industry members, including many small 
businesses, have received inadequate notice of the Commission's request 
for comment because the earliest that trade publications could have 
included information about the Commission's proceeding was in their 
September issues, and because of the adverse effects of Hurricane 
Katrina.
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    \2\ The AI NetWork is an online professional network of 
interactive forums and reference materials for, among others, the 
gems and jewelry trades. Its subscribers include major jewelry 
manufacturers, distributors, retailers, designers, and appraisers, 
as well as gemologists and antique dealers. The AI NetWork and its 
subscribers, therefore, have a significant interest in the outcome 
of the Commission's proceeding relating to the Jewelry Guides.
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    The Commission is aware that the issues raised by the Federal 
Register notice are complex and technical. Accordingly, to provide 
additional time for interested parties to prepare comments, the 
Commission has decided to extend the deadline for comments until 
October 12, 2005.

    By direction of the Commission.
Donald S. Clark,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 05-19784 Filed 10-3-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6750-01-P