[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 161 (Monday, August 20, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 50056-50057]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-20417]


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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: Notice of extension of deadline for submission of public 
comments.

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SUMMARY: The FTC is extending the deadline for filing public comments 
on the Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 28, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties may file comments online or on paper by 
following the instructions at the end of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
section below. Write ``Jewelry Guides, 16 CFR Part 23, Project No. 
G711001'' on your comment, and file your comment online at https://ftcpublic.commentworks.com/ftc/jewelryguidesreview by following the 
instructions on the web-based form. If you prefer to file your comment 
on paper, mail or deliver your comment to the following address: 
Federal Trade Commission, Office of the Secretary, Room H-113 (Annex 
O), 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20580.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Reenah L. Kim, Attorney, (202) 326-
2272, Division of Enforcement, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal 
Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20580.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 2, 2012, as part of the Commission's 
systematic review of its rules and guides, the FTC published a notice 
in the Federal Register (``FRN'') requesting public comments on the 
Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries 
(``Jewelry Guides'' or ``Guides).\1\ The FRN solicits comments on the 
Guides' costs and benefits, and on whether the Commission should 
repeal, amend, or retain the Guides in their current form. The FRN also 
solicits comments on several specific issues concerning composite 
gemstones, pearls, diamonds, and precious metal alloys, as well as 
comments regarding

[[Page 50057]]

any other issues or concerns relating to the Guides. The FRN sets 
August 27, 2012 as the deadline for filing comments.
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    \1\ 77 FR 39201 (July 2, 2012).
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    A trade association representing jewelry industry members, Jewelers 
Vigilance Committee (``JVC''), requests a 32-day extension of the 
comment deadline. JVC explains that the market research companies 
retained to obtain consumer perception data need additional time to 
complete their tasks. JVC further notes the FRN contains 24 separate 
questions, many with subparts, covering a wide array of topics and 
raising complicated issues that call for technical submissions by 
metallurgical and gemological experts, in addition to targeted market 
research data. JVC states the current deadline does not provide 
sufficient time to develop comments and supporting evidence that would 
fully address the issues.
    The Commission has decided to extend the comment period to 
September 28, 2012. Given the complexity and range of issues raised in 
the FRN, including the request for consumer perception evidence, the 
Commission believes that allowing additional time for filing comments 
may help facilitate the creation of a more complete record. Moreover, 
this brief extension would not harm consumers, as the current Guides 
remain in effect during the review process.
    You can file a comment online or on paper. For the Commission to 
consider your comment, we must receive it on or before September 28, 
2012. Write ``Jewelry Guides, 16 CFR Part 23, Project No. G711001'' on 
your comment. Your comment--including your name and your state--will be 
placed on the public record of this proceeding, including, to the 
extent practicable, on the public Commission Web site, at http://www.ftc.gov/os/publiccomments.shtm. As a matter of discretion, the 
Commission tries to remove individuals' home contact information from 
comments before placing them on the Commission Web site. Because your 
comment will be made public, you are solely responsible for making sure 
that your comment does not include any sensitive personal information, 
such as anyone's Social Security number, date of birth, driver's 
license number or other state identification number or foreign country 
equivalent, passport number, financial account number, or credit or 
debit card number. You are also solely responsible for making sure that 
your comment does not include any sensitive health information, such as 
medical records or other individually-identifiable health information. 
In addition, do not include any ``trade secret or any commercial or 
financial information which is * * * privileged or confidential,'' as 
discussed in Section 6(f) of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. 46(f), and FTC Rule 
4.10(a)(2), 16 CFR 4.10(a)(2). In particular, do not include 
competitively sensitive information such as costs, sales statistics, 
inventories, formulas, patterns, devices, manufacturing processes, or 
customer names.
    If you want the Commission to give your comment confidential 
treatment, you must file it in paper form, with a request for 
confidential treatment, and you must follow the procedure explained in 
FTC Rule 4.9(c), 16 CFR 4.9(c).\2\ Your comment will be kept 
confidential only if the FTC General Counsel, in his or her sole 
discretion, grants your request in accordance with the law and the 
public interest.
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    \2\ In particular, the written request for confidential 
treatment that accompanies the comment must include the factual and 
legal basis for the request and must identify the specific portions 
of the comment to be withheld from the public record. See FTC Rule 
4.9(c), 16 CFR 4.9(c).
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    Postal mail addressed to the Commission is subject to delay due to 
heightened security screening. Accordingly, we encourage you to submit 
your comments online. To make sure that the Commission considers your 
online comment, you must file it at https://ftcpublic.commentworks.com/ftc/jewelryguidesreview by following the instructions on the web-based 
form. If this Notice appears at http://www.regulations.gov, you also 
may file a comment through that Web site.
    If you file your comment on paper, write ``Jewelry Guides, 16 CFR 
Part 23, Project No. G711001'' on your comment and on the envelope, and 
mail or deliver it to the following address: Federal Trade Commission, 
Office of the Secretary, Room H-113 (Annex O), 600 Pennsylvania Avenue 
NW., Washington, DC 20580. If possible, submit your paper comment to 
the Commission by courier or overnight service.
    Visit the Commission Web site at http://www.ftc.gov to read this 
Notice and the news release describing it. The FTC Act and other laws 
that 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 on or before September 28, 2012. You can find more 
information, including routine uses permitted by the Privacy Act, in 
the Commission's privacy policy at http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/privacy.htm.

    By direction of the Commission.
Donald S. Clark,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-20417 Filed 8-17-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6750-01-P