Guides for Advertising Allowances and Other Merchandising Payments and Services

Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Federal Trade Commission 16 CFR Part 240 AGENCY: Federal Trade Commission. ACTION: Final changes to guides. SUMMARY: The Federal Trade Commission (“the Commission”) previously published in the Federal Register a request for public comments on the overall costs and benefits of and the continuing need for its Guides for Advertising Allowances and Other Merchandising Payments and Services (“the Guides”). The Commission issued this request as part of its program for periodic review of its rules and guides to ensure they are up-to-date, effective, and not overly burdensome. DATES: This action is effective as of November 10, 2014. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael J. Bloom, 202-326-2475, or Julie A. Goshorn, 202-326-3033, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC 20580. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background The Commission originally issued the Guides in 1969 to help businesses comply with sections 2(d) and 2(e) of the Robinson-Patman Act (“R-P Act” or “the Act”). The Guides were last revised in 1990, to bring them into conformity with then-current legal developments and to eliminate nonessential requirements. See 55 FR 33651 (Aug. 17, 1990). The changes published in this document reflect more recent legal developments as well as changes in technology and methods of marketing that have occurred since the Guides were last reviewed, such as the emergence of the Internet and widespread online marketing. [ 1 ] As the name suggests, t…