[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 82 (Monday, April 28, 2008)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 22848-22849]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-9171]


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FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

16 CFR Part 23


Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries

AGENCY: Federal Trade Commission (FTC or Commission)

ACTION: Extension of deadline for submission of public comments.

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SUMMARY: The FTC is extending the deadline for filing public comments 
on a proposed amendment to the platinum section of the Guides for the 
Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries for an additional 
ninety (90) days.

DATES: Written comments must be received on or before August 25, 2008.

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, with two copies, to the following 
address: Federal Trade Commission/Office of the Secretary, Room 135-H 
(Annex E), 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. If 
the comment contains any material for which confidential treatment is 
requested, it must be filed in paper (rather than electronic) form, and 
the first page of the document must be clearly labeled 
``Confidential.''\1\ The FTC is requesting that any comment filed in 
paper form be sent by courier or overnight service, if possible, 
because U.S. postal mail in the Washington area, and at the Commission, 
is subject to delay due to heightened security precautions.
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    \1\ Commission Rule 4.2(d), 16 CFR 4.2 (d). 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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    Because U.S. postal mail is subject to delay due to heightened 
security measures, please consider submitting your comments in 
electronic form. Comments filed in electronic form (except comments 
containing any confidential material) should be submitted by clicking 
on the following: https://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 https://secure.commentworks.com/ftc-jewelry. If this 
Notice appears at http://www.regulations.gov, you may also 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. The Commission will consider all timely and responsive 
public comments that it receives, whether filed in paper or electronic 
form. Comments 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: Robin Rosen Spector, Attorney, (202) 
326-3740, or Janice Podoll Frankle, Attorney, (202) 326-3022, Division 
of Enforcement, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade 
Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On February 26, 2008, the Commission 
published a request for comment on a proposed amendment to the platinum 
section of the Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter 
Industries\2\ (Jewelry Guides or Guides). The

[[Page 22849]]

proposed amendment provides guidance on how to mark or describe non-
deceptively products that contain at least 500 parts per thousand, but 
less than 850 parts per thousand, pure platinum and do not contain at 
least 950 parts per thousand platinum group metals. The Commission also 
sought comment on whether it should revise the Guides to provide 
guidance on how to mark or describe platinum-clad, filled, plated, or 
overlay products. The notice designated May 27, 2008 as the deadline 
for filing public comments.
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    \2\ 73 FR 10190 (February 26, 2008).
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    Two trade associations that represent jewelry industry members, 
Platinum Guild International (PGI) and Jewelers Vigilance Committee 
(JVC), request a 90-day extension of the comment period. The 
associations explain that the Commission requested responses to 19 
questions, that include over 20 subparts, and expressly requested 
submission of empirical data.\3\ PGI states that the current deadline 
does not provide sufficient time to develop its comments and generate 
data to address the questions. JVC explains that the current period 
does not allow sufficient time for its Platinum Task Force \4\ to 
collect the information required to fully address the issues.
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    \3\ The notice includes 19 questions that have 27 sub-parts. Id.
    \4\ The JVC co-chairs this task force with two other industry 
trade associations, Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America 
and Jewelers of America.
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    Karat Platinum LLC, a marketer of platinum/base metal alloys, filed 
a comment opposing the request for extension. Karat Platinum asserts 
that additional time is not needed in order to fully and completely 
respond to the Commission's request for comment and that a delay will 
perpetuate market confusion. Karat Platinum states that the issues 
surrounding the appropriate terminology for this alloy are not new and 
many of the questions in the request for comment overlap with those 
posed in the Commission's 2005 FRN requesting comment on this issue.\5\
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    \5\ 70 FR 38836 (July 6, 2005).
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    The Commission is mindful of the need to deal with this matter 
expeditiously. However, the Commission also recognizes that its 
proposal raises complex issues and believes that extending the comment 
period to facilitate the creation of a more complete record outweighs 
any harm that might result from any delay. Accordingly, the Commission 
has decided to extend the comment period to August 25, 2008.
    By direction of the Commission.

Donald S. Clark,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-9171 Filed 4-25-08: 8:45 am]
[Billing Code 6750-01-S]