[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 44 (Wednesday, March 6, 2019)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 8045-8047]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-03970]


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FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

16 CFR Part 24


Guides for Select Leather and Imitation Leather Products

AGENCY: Federal Trade Commission.

ACTION: Regulatory review; request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Trade Commission (``FTC'' or ``Commission'') 
requests public comments on its Guides for Select Leather and Imitation 
Leather Products (``Leather Guides'' or ``Guides''). The Commission is 
soliciting the comments as part of the Commission's systematic review 
of all current Commission regulations and guides.

DATES: Comments must be received by April 22, 2019.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties may file a comment online or on paper by 
following the instructions in the Request for Comment part of the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below. Write ``Leather Guides Review, 
P188014'' on your comment, and file your comment online at https://www.regulations.gov by following the instructions of that website. If 
you prefer to file your comment on paper, mail your comment to the 
following address: Federal Trade Commission, Office of the Secretary, 
600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite CC-5610 (Annex J), Washington, DC 
20580; or deliver your comment to the following address: Federal Trade 
Commission, Office of the Secretary, Constitution Center, 400 7th 
Street SW, 5th Floor, Suite 610, Washington, DC 20024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James R. Golder (214-979-9376), 
[email protected], Attorney, Southwest Region, Federal Trade Commission, 
1999 Bryan Street, Suite 2150, Dallas, Texas 75201.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

[[Page 8046]]

I. Background

    The Commission's Leather Guides address misrepresentations about 
the composition and characteristics of specific leather and imitation 
leather products.\1\ The Guides apply to the manufacture, sale, 
distribution, marketing, or advertising of all kinds of leather or 
simulated leather purses, luggage, wallets, footwear, and other similar 
products. Importantly, the Leather Guides state that disclosure of non-
leather content should be made for material that has the appearance of 
leather but is not leather.
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    \1\ The Leather Guides ``are administrative interpretations of 
laws administered by the Commission for the guidance of the public 
in conducting its affairs in conformity with legal requirements. 
They provide the basis for voluntary and simultaneous abandonment of 
unlawful practices by members of industry.'' 16 CFR 1.5. Conduct 
inconsistent with the Guides may result in corrective action by the 
Commission under Section 5 of the FTC Act (15 U.S.C. 45).
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    The Commission adopted the Leather Guides in 1996, as part of its 
periodic review of its rules and guides.\2\ On May 23, 2007, the 
Commission published a Federal Register notice seeking public comment 
on the Guides.\3\ On June 18, 2008, the Commission published its 
conclusion that there was a continuing need for the Guides, and it 
approved retention of the Guides in their current form.\4\
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    \2\ 61 FR 51577 (October 3, 1996). When adopted, the Leather 
Guides consolidated portions of the Guides for the Luggage and 
Related Products Industry, the Guides for Shoe Content Labeling and 
Advertising, and the Guides for the Ladies' Handbag Industry. The 
Leather Guides also included provisions previously contained in the 
Commission's Trade Regulation Rule Concerning Misbranding and 
Deception as to Leather Content of Waist Belts. See 72 FR 28907 (May 
23, 2007).
    \3\ 72 FR 28906 (May 23, 2007).
    \4\ 73 FR 34630 (June 18, 2008).
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II. Regulatory Review Program

    The Commission periodically reviews all Commission rules and 
guides. These reviews seek information about the costs and benefits of 
the Commission's rules and guides and their economic impact. The 
information obtained assists the Commission in identifying rules and 
guides that warrant modification or rescission. Therefore, the 
Commission solicits comment on, among other things, the economic impact 
of and the continuing need for its Leather Guides; possible conflict 
between the Guides and state, local, federal, or international laws; 
and the effect of any technological, economic, environmental, or other 
industry changes on the Guides.

III. Request for Comment

    The Commission is particularly interested in comments and 
supporting data on the following questions. These questions are 
designed to assist the public and should not be construed as a 
limitation on the issues on which public comment may be submitted. In 
their replies to each of these questions, commenters should provide any 
available evidence and data, such as empirical data, consumer 
perception studies, or consumer complaints, that support the 
commenter's asserted position.
    (1) Is there a continuing need for the Leather Guides as currently 
promulgated?
    (2) Are any specific provisions of the Leather Guides no longer 
necessary?
    (3) Are the deceptive or unfair practices addressed by the Leather 
Guides prevalent in the marketplace? Are the Guides effective in 
addressing those practices?
    (4) Are there deceptive or unfair practices in the selling of 
leather or imitation leather products in other industries that are not 
covered by the Leather Guides, such as automotive and furniture 
upholstery products? If so, what is the extent of misrepresentations in 
those industries? How do consumers interpret or perceive the appearance 
of leather or simulated leather in those industries? Should the 
Commission expand the Guides to cover these or other products? What 
compliance costs would be imposed on these industries if the Commission 
were to expand the Guides? Are there any special considerations for 
those industries? Are there alternatives, such as individual 
enforcement actions under the FTC Act, that would be more effective or 
equally effective in addressing those practices?
    (5) Have covered businesses adopted the Leather Guides as part of 
their routine business practice? Have uncovered businesses adopted the 
Leather Guides as part of their routine business practice? What is the 
degree of compliance with the Guides? How, and what effect, if any, 
does this have on the continuing need for the Guides? Do covered or 
uncovered businesses self-regulate or have voluntary standards or 
guidance, such as through trade associations, which overlap with the 
Guides?
    (6) What benefits, if any, have the Leather Guides provided to 
consumers of the products affected by the Guides? Do the Guides impose 
any significant costs on consumers?
    (7) What impact, if any, have the Leather Guides had on the flow of 
truthful or deceptive information to consumers?
    (8) What changes, if any, should be made to the Leather Guides to 
increase their benefits to consumers? How would these changes affect 
consumer benefits or business costs?
    (9) What burdens or costs, including costs of compliance, have the 
Leather Guides imposed on covered businesses? What burdens or costs 
have the Guides imposed on small businesses in particular? Have the 
Guides provided benefits to businesses? If so, what benefits?
    (10) What changes, if any, should be made to the Leather Guides to 
reduce the burdens or costs imposed on businesses? How would these 
changes affect consumer benefits or business costs?
    (11) Do the Leather Guides overlap or conflict with federal, state, 
or local laws or regulations? Do the Guides overlap or conflict with 
any international laws or regulations?
    (12) Have consumer perceptions changed since the Leather Guides 
were issued and, if so, do these changes warrant revising the Guides?
    (13) Since the Leather Guides were issued, what effects, if any, 
have changes in relevant technological, economic, or environmental 
conditions had on the need for or usefulness of the Guides?
    You can file a comment online or on paper. For the Commission to 
consider your comment, we must receive it on or before April 22, 2019. 
Write ``Leather Guides Review, P188014'' on your comment. Your 
comment--including your name and your state--will be placed on the 
public record of this proceeding at https://wwwregulations.gov.
    Postal mail addressed to the Commission is subject to delay due to 
heightened security screening. As a result, we encourage you to submit 
your comments online. To ensure the Commission considers your online 
comment, you must file it at http://www.regulations.gov by following 
the instructions of that website.
    If you file your comment on paper, write ``Leather Guides Review, 
P188014'' on your comment and on the envelope, and mail it to the 
following address: Federal Trade Commission, Office of the Secretary, 
600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite CC-5610 (Annex J), Washington, DC 
20580; or deliver your comment to the following address: Federal Trade 
Commission, Office of the Secretary, Constitution Center, 400 7th 
Street SW, 5th Floor, Suite 5610, Washington, DC 20024. If possible, 
please submit your paper comment to the Commission by courier or 
overnight service.
    Because your comment will be placed on a publicly accessible 
website at https://www.regulations.gov, you are

[[Page 8047]]

solely responsible for making sure that your comment does not include 
any sensitive personal information, such as your or 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 ensuring your comment does not include any 
sensitive health information, such as medical records or other 
individually identifiable health information. In addition, your comment 
should not include any ``[t]rade secret or any commercial or financial 
information which . . . is privileged or confidential''--as provided in 
Section (f) of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. 46(f), and FTC Rule 4.10(a)(2), 
16 CFR 4.10(a)(2)--including in particular competitively sensitive 
information such as costs, sales statistics, inventories, formulas, 
patterns, devices, manufacturing processes, or customer names.
    Comments containing material for which confidential treatment is 
requested must be filed in paper form, must be clearly labeled 
``Confidential,'' and must comply with FTC Rule 4.9(c). 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). Your comment will be kept 
confidential only if the General Counsel grants your request in 
accordance with the law and the public interest. Once your comment has 
been posted publicly--as legally required by FTC Rule 4.9(b)--we cannot 
redact or remove your comment from the www.regulations.gov website, 
unless you submit a confidentiality request that meets the requirements 
for such treatment under FTC Rule 4.9(c), and the General Counsel 
grants that request.
    Visit the FTC website 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 
April 22, 2019. For information on the Commission's privacy policy, 
including routine uses permitted by the Privacy Act, see https://www.ftc.gov/site-information/privacy-policy.

    By direction of the Commission.
April Tabor,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2019-03970 Filed 3-5-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6750-01-P