UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
MIDDLE DISTRICT OF FLORIDA
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff,
v.
HOME SHOPPING NETWORK, INC., and
HOME SHOPPING CLUB, L.P., Defendants.
CIV. ACTION NO. 99-897-CIV-T-25C
CONSENT DECREE
WHEREAS: Plaintiff, the United States of America, has commenced this
action by filing the Complaint herein; defendants Home Shopping Network, Inc., and Home
Shopping Club, L.P., have waived service of the Summons and Complaint; the parties have
been represented by the attorneys whose names appear hereafter; and the parties have
agreed to settlement of this action upon the following terms and conditions, without
adjudication of any issue of fact or law and without defendants admitting liability for
any of the matters alleged in the Complaint;
THEREFORE, on the joint motion of plaintiff and defendants, it is hereby
ORDERED, ADJUDGED, and DECREED as follows:
1. This Court has jurisdiction over the subject matter and the parties.
2. The Complaint states a claim upon which relief may be granted against
defendants under Sections 5(l), 9, 13(b) and 16(a) of the Federal Trade Commission
Act ("FTC Act"), 15 U.S.C. §§ 45(l), 49, 53(b) and 56(a).
3. The following definition shall apply to this Consent Decree:
"Commission's Order" shall mean the Federal Trade Commission
("Commission") Order in FTC Docket
No. 9272 (1996), a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit A and made
a part of this Consent Decree.
CIVIL PENALTY
4. Pursuant to Section 5(l) of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. § 45(l),
defendants Home Shopping Network, Inc., and Home Shopping Club, L.P., their successors and
assigns, shall pay a monetary civil penalty of $1,100,000.
5. Defendants, their successors and assigns, shall make the payment
required by Paragraph 4 within five (5) days after the date of entry of this Consent
Decree by electronic fund transfer in accordance with the instructions provided by: The
Office of Consumer Litigation, Civil Division, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington,
D.C. 20530.
6. In the event of any default in payment, which default continues for ten
(10) days beyond the due date of payment, the entire unpaid penalty, together with
interest as computed pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1961 from the date of default to the date of
payment, shall immediately become due and payable.
INJUNCTION
7. Defendants Home Shopping Network, Inc., and Home Shopping Club, L.P.,
their successors and assigns, and their officers, agents, representatives and employees,
and all persons in active concert or participation with any one or more of them who
receive actual notice of this Consent Decree by personal service or otherwise, are hereby
permanently enjoined from ever violating, directly or through any corporation, subsidiary,
division, or other device, any provision of the Commission's Order.
8. In the event that the Commission's Order is hereafter modified,
defendants' compliance with such Order as so modified shall not be deemed a violation of
this injunction.
PERSONS AFFECTED; CONTINUING JURISDICTION
9. Each defendant shall, within thirty (30) days after the entry of this
Consent Decree, provide a copy of the Commission's Order and a copy of this Consent Decree
to each of its officers, and to each of its agents and employees responsible for the
advertising or promotion of any product covered by the Commission's Order. Within ten (10)
days of complying with this paragraph, each defendant shall provide the Associate Director
for Enforcement, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, D.C.
20580, an affidavit setting forth the fact and manner of its compliance, including the
name and title of each person to whom a copy of the Commission's Order and Consent Decree
has been provided.
10. For a period of five (5) years from the date of entry of this Consent
Decree, defendants, their successors and assigns, shall maintain and, upon request, make
available to the Commission, copies of all business records demonstrating compliance with
the terms and provisions of this Consent Decree.
11. This Court shall retain jurisdiction of this matter for the purpose of
enabling any of the parties to this Consent Decree to apply to the Court at any time for
such further orders or directives as may be necessary or appropriate for the
interpretation or modification of thisConsent Decree, for the enforcement of compliance
therewith, for the redress of any violations thereof, or for the punishment of any
violations thereof.
JUDGMENT IS THEREFORE ENTERED in favor of plaintiff and against
defendants, pursuant to all the terms and conditions recited above.
Dated this ________ day of _______________, 19___.
_____________________________
United States District Judge
The parties, by their respective counsel, hereby consent to the terms and
conditions of the Consent Decree as set forth above and consent to the entry thereof.
Defendants waive any rights that may arise under the Equal Access to Justice Act, 28
U.S.C. § 2412, amended by Pub. L. 104-121, 110 Stat. 847, 863-63 (1996).
FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:
DAVID W. OGDEN
Acting Assistant Attorney General
Civil Division
United States Department of Justice
CHARLES R. WILSON
United States Attorney
Middle District of Florida
By: _____________________________
WARREN A. ZIMMERMAN
Assistant United States Attorney
EUGENE M. THIROLF
Director
Office of Consumer Litigation
_____________________________
DOUGLAS ROSS
Attorney
Office of Consumer Litigation
Civil Division
U.S. Department of Justice
Washington, D.C. 20530
(202) 514-1874
FOR THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION:
ELAINE D. KOLISH
Associate Director for Enforcement
MARY K. ENGLE
Assistant Director for Enforcement
_____________________________
LOUISE R. JUNG
_____________________________
PABLO M. ZYLBERGLAIT
Attorneys
Division of Enforcement
Bureau of Consumer Protection
Federal Trade Commission
(202) 326-2989
FOR THE DEFENDANTS:
HOME SHOPPING NETWORK, INC.
By: _____________________________
James G. Held
President
HOME SHOPPING CLUB, L.P.
By: _____________________________
James G. Gallagher
Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary
STEIN, MITCHELL & MEZINES
Attorneys for Defendant
1000 Connecticut Avenue, Northwest
Washington, D.C. 20036
(202) 737-7777
By: _____________________________
GLENN A. MITCHELL
A Member of the Firm
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