| Volume 116 Number 12 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
With the Internet, scams have gone international. The good news is that the Federal Trade Commission, together with consumer protection agencies in 33 other countries, have launched the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network at econsumer.gov. If you do run afoul of an International scam, make sure you report it here. Click here for more.
Fish Fraud: Almost Half the Salmon Sold as "Wild" is Actually Farmed
Researchers from the conservation group Oceana recently collected 82 samples of salmon labeled “wild” from restaurants and grocery stores in Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C. and Virginia. The researchers found that the salmon was mislabeled 43% of the time. The largest mislabeling problem was farmed salmon being labeled as "wild," but sometimes cheaper types of salmon were sold as more expensive types such as Chinook. The study found that your best bet was probably purchasing from a large grocery chain, and that the most labeling problems were found in restaurants. Click here for more.
Your Money
Should you make room in your portfolio for commodities? In 2004 two Yale professors published a paper arguing that commodities futures would be a great hedge against market fluctuations. While those professors probably made money off financial products they sold based upon their research, the investors who followed their advice didn't fare so well. This article discusses why commodities trading should be left to the experts. Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
User of phone line can sue under TCPA. Leyse filed suit under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, after receiving a prerecorded telemarketing call on the landline he shares with his roommate. Leyse was not the intended recipient of the call— his roommate was. The district court dismissed for lack of statutory standing. The Third Circuit reversed, concluding that Leyse has statutory standing. His status as a regular user of the phone line and occupant of the residence that was called brings him within the language of the Act and the zone of interests it protects. Leyse v. Bank of America NA Click here for more.