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§ 126.10

Consignment selling.

It is an unfair trade practice for any member of the industry to use the practice of shipping goods on consignment or pretended consignment for the purpose and with the effect or artificially clogging trade outlets and unduly restricting competitors' use of said trade outlets in getting their goods to consumers through regular channels of distribution, or with such purpose to entirely close said trade outlets to such competitors so as to substantially lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly or to unreasonably restrain trade: Provided, however, That nothing herein shall be construed or used as restricting or preventing consignment shipping or marketing of commodities in good faith and without artificial interference with competitors' use of the usual channels of distribution in such manner as thereby to suppress competition or restrain trade.

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(a) Prohibited discriminatory rebates, refunds, discounts, credits and other price differentials. It is an unfair trade practice for any member of the industry engaged in commerce, in the course of such commerce, to grant or allow, secretly or openly, directly or indirectly, any rebate, refund, discount, credit or other price differential, where such rebate, refund, discount, credit or other price differential effects a discrimination in price between different purchasers of goods of like grade and quality and where either or any of the purchases involved therein are in commerce and where the effect thereof may be substantially to lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly in any line of commerce or to injure, destroy or prevent competition with any person who either grants or knowingly receives the benefit

of such discrimination or with customers of either of them: Provided, however, (1) That the goods involved in any such transaction are sold for use, consumption or resale within any place under the jurisdiction of the United States;

(2) That nothing contained in this section shall prevent differentials which make only due allowance for differences in the cost of manufacture, sale or delivery resulting from the differing methods or quantities in which such commodities are to such purchasers sold or delivered;

(3) That nothing contained in this section shall prevent persons engaged in selling goods, wares or merchandise in commerce from selecting their own customers in bona fide transactions and not in restraint of trade;

(4) That nothing contained in this section shall prevent price changes from time to time where made in response to changing conditions affecting either (i) the market for the goods concerned, or (ii) the marketability of the goods, such as, but not limited to, actual or imminent deterioration of perishable goods, obsolescence of seasonal goods, distress sales under court process, or sales in good faith in discontinuance of business in the goods concerned.

(b) Prohibited brokerages and commissions. It is an unfair trade practice for any member of the industry engaged in commerce, in the course of such commerce, to pay or grant, or to receive or accept, anything of value as a commission, brokerage, or other compensation, or any allowance or discount in lieu thereof, except for services rendered in connection with the sale or purchase of goods, wares, or merchandise, either to the other party to such transaction or to an agent, representative, or other intermediary therein where such intermediary is acting in fact for or in behalf, or is subject to the direct or indirect control, of any party to such transaction other than the person by whom such compensation is so granted or paid.

(c) Prohibited advertising or promotional allowances, etc. It is an unfair trade practice for any member of the industry engaged in commerce to pay or contract for the payment of advertising or promotional allowances or any other thing of value to or for the benefit of a customer of such member in the course of such commerce as compensation or in consideration for any services or facilities

furnished by or through such customer in connection with the processing, handling, sale or offering for sale of any products or commodities manufactured, sold, or offered for sale by such member, unless such payment or consideration is available on proportionally equal terms to all other customers competing in the distribution of such products or commodities.

(d) Prohibited discriminatory services or facilities. It is an unfair trade practice for any member of the industry engaged in commerce to discriminate in favor of one purchaser against another purchaser or purchasers of a commodity bought for resale, with or without processing, by contracting to furnish or by furnishing, or by contributing to the furnishing of, any services or facilities connected with the processing, handling, sale or offering for sale of such commodity so purchased upon terms not accorded to all purchasers on proportionally equal terms.

(e) Illegal price discrimination. It is an unfair trade practice for any member of the industry or other person engaged in commerce, in the course of such commerce, to discriminate in price in any other respect contrary to section 2 of the Clayton Act as amended by the act of Congress approved June 19, 1936, or knowingly to induce or receive a discrimination in price which is prohibited by such section as amended.

(Sec. 2, 38 Stat. 730, as amended, secs. 2, 3, 4, 49 Stat. 1527, 1528; 15 U. S. C. 13, 13a, 13b, 21a)

§ 126.12

Discriminatory returns.

It is an unfair trade practice for any member of the industry, engaged in commerce, to discriminate in favor of one customer-purchaser against another customer-purchaser of dresses, bought from such member of the industry for resale, by contracting to furnish or furnishing in connection therewith, upon terms not accorded to all customer-purchasers on proportionally equal terms, the service or facility whereby such favored purchaser is accorded the privilege of returning dresses so purchased and receiving therefor credit or refund of purchase price: Provided, however, That nothing in any of the rules of this section shall prohibit or be used to prevent the return of merchandise by purchaser, for credit or refund of purchase price, when and because such merchandise has not been properly labeled by the seller as to fiber content, or has been otherwise falsely or decep

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The practice, by members of the industry, of selling merchandise and later permitting the purchaser to return it for credit or refund of purchase price, without just cause, creates waste and loss, increases the cost of doing business to the detriment of both the industry and the public and is condemned by the industry, subject, however, to requirements and limitations set forth in the provisions of § 126.12.

§ 126.103 Arbitration.

The industry approves the practice of handling business disputes between members of the industry and their customers in a fair and reasonable manner, coupled with a spirit of moderation and good will, and every effort should be made by the disputants themselves to compose their differences. If unable to do so they should, if possible, submit these disputes to arbitration.

§ 126.104 Repudiation of contracts.

Contracts are business obligations which should be performed in letter and in spirit. The repudiation of contracts by sellers on a rising market or by buyers on a declining market is condemned by the industry.

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Directly or indirectly to give, or permit to be given, or offer to give, money or anything of value to agents, employees or representatives of customers or prospective customers, or to agents, employees or representatives of competitors' customers or prospective customers, without the knowledge of their employers or principals, as an inducement to influence their employers or principals to purchase or contract to purchase industry products from the maker of such gift or offer, or to influence such employers or principals to refrain from dealing or contracting to deal with competitors, is an unfair trade practice.

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Willfully enticing away the employees of competitors with the purpose and effect of unduly hampering, injuring or embarrassing competitors in their business, is an unfair trade practice.

§ 127.4 Misrepresentation in general.

It is an unfair trade practice for any member of the industry to make or publish or cause to be made or published, directly or indirectly, any false, misleading or deceptive statement or representation, by way of advertisement, guarantee, warranty, adjustment, policy, or otherwise, concerning the grade, quality, quantity, substance, use, character, nature, origin, size, manufacture or distribution of any product of the industry, or concerning the life or service of such product, or in any other material respect.

§ 127.5 False branding or marking.

The false or deceptive marking or branding of products of the industry, with the tendency, capacity or effect of misleading or deceiving purchasers, prospective purchasers or the consuming public with respect to the grade, quality, quantity, use, size, material, content, origin, preparation, manufacture or distribution of such products, or in any other material respect, is an unfair trade practice.

§ 127.6 Defamation of competitors.

The defamation of competitors by falsely imputing to them dishonorable conduct, inability to perform contracts, questionable credit standing, or by other false representations, or the false disparagement of the grade, quality or manufacture of the products of competitors, or of their business methods, selling prices, values, credit terms, policies or services, with the tendency, capacity or effect of misleading or deceiving purchasers, prospective purchasers or the consuming public, is an unfair trade practice.

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such commerce, to grant or allow, secretly or openly, directly or indirectly, any rebates, refunds, discounts, credits or other price differentials, where such rebates, refunds, discounts, credits or other price differentials effect a discrimination in price between different purchasers of goods of like grade and quality and where either or any of the purchases involved therein are in commerce and where the effect thereof may be substantially to lessen competition or tend to create a monopoly in any line of commerce or to injure, destroy or prevent competition with any person who either grants or knowingly receives the benefit of such discrimination or with customers of either of them: Provided, however, (1) That the goods involved in any such transaction are sold for use, consumption or resale within any place under the jurisdiction of the United States;

(2) That nothing contained in this section shall prevent differentials which make only due allowance for differences in the cost of manufacture, sale or delivery resulting from the differing methods or quantities in which such commodities are to such purchasers sold or delivered;

(3) That nothing contained in this section shall prevent persons engaged in selling goods, wares or merchandise in commerce from selecting their own customers in bona fide transactions and not in restraint of trade;

(4) That nothing contained in this section shall prevent price changes from time to time where made in response to changing conditions affecting either (i) the market for the goods concerned, or (ii) the marketability of the goods, such as, but not limited to, actual or imminent deterioration of perishable goods, obsolescence of seasoned goods, distress sales under court process, or sales in good faith in discontinuance of business in the goods concerned.

(b) Prohibited brokerages and commissions. It is an unfair trade practice for any member of the industry engaged in commerce, in the course of such commerce, to pay or grant, or to receive or accept, anything of value as a commission, brokerage, or other compensation, or any allowance or discount in lieu thereof, except for services rendered in connection with the sale or purchase of goods, wares, or merchandise, either to the other party to such transaction or to an agent, representative, or other intermediary therein where such intermediary

is acting in fact for or in behalf, or is subject to the direct or indirect control, of any party to such transaction other than the person by whom such compensation is so granted or paid.

(c) Prohibited advertising or promotional allowances, etc. It is an unfair trade practice for any member of the industry engaged in commerce to pay or contract for the payment of advertising or promotional allowances or any other thing of value to or for the benefit of a customer of such member in the course of such commerce as compensation or in consideration for any services or facilities furnished by or through such customer in connection with the processing, handling, sale or offering for sale of any products or commodities manufactured, sold, or offered for sale by such member, unless such payment or consideration is available on proportionally equal terms to all other customers competing in the distribution of such products or commodities.

(d) Prohibited discriminatory services or facilities. It is an unfair trade practice for any member of the industry engaged in commerce to discriminate in favor of one purchaser against another purchaser or purchasers of a commodity bought for resale, with or without processing, by contracting to furnish or by furnishing, or by contributing to the furnishing of, any services or facilities connected with the processing, handling, sale or offering for sale of such commodity so purchased upon terms not accorded to all purchasers on proportionally equal terms.

(e) Illegal price discrimination. It is an unfair trade practice for any member of the industry or other person engaged in commerce, in the course of such commerce, to discriminate in price in any other respect contrary to section 2 of the Clayton Act as amended by the act of Congress approved June 19, 1936, or knowingly to induce or receive a discrimination in price which is prohibited by such section as amended.

(Sec. 2, 38 Stat. 730, as amended, secs. 2, 3, 4, 49 Stat. 1527, 1528; 15 U. S. C. 13, 13a, 13b, 21a)

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is an unfair trade practice; all elements recognized in good accounting practice as proper elements of such cost shall be included in determining cost under this section.

§ 127.9 Misrepresenting products as conforming to standard.

Representing, through advertising or otherwise, that any products of the industry conform to a standard recognized in or applicable to the industry when such is not the fact, with the tendency, capacity or effect of misleading or deceiving purchasers, prospective purchasers or the consuming public, is an unfair trade practice.

§ 127.10 Deceptive selling methods.

The sale or offering for sale of any product of the industry by any false or deceptive means or device which has the tendency, capacity or effect of misleading or deceiving purchasers, prospective purchasers or the consuming public as to the grade, quality, quantity, substance, use, character, nature, origin, size or preparation of such product, or in any other material respect, is an unfair trade practice.

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Consignment sales.

Misuse of word "free".

Commercial bribery.

Lottery schemes.

129.15 Full-line forcing.

129.16 False invoicing.

129.17 Sales below cost. 129.18

trade

Unlawful combinations in restraint of trade.

129.19 Aiding or abetting use of unfair trade practices.

129.101

Repudiation of contracts.

GROUP II

Arbitration.

129.102

129.103

129.104

129.105

Unwarranted return of merchandise.
Differentiating between wholesale
and retail transactions.
Coercive sales.

129.106 Adherence to safety requirements. 129.107 Dissemination of credit information, etc.

129.108 Agreement as to place of delivery.

AUTHORITY: The provisions of this Part 129 issued under secs. 6(g), 5, 38 Stat. 722, 719; 15 U.S.C. 46(g), 45, unless otherwise noted.

SOURCE: The provisions of this Part 129 contained in trade practice rules, Carbon Dioxide Manufacturing Industry, FTC, Mar. 19, 1938, unless otherwise noted.

GROUP I

§ 129.1 Inducing breach of contract.

Willfully inducing or attempting to induce, by any false or deceptive means whatsoever, the breach of any lawful contract or contracts existing between competitors and their customers or their suppliers, or willfully interfering with or obstructing the performance of any such

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