81 FR 11697 - Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries

FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 44 (March 7, 2016)

The FTC is extending the deadline for filing public comments on the Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 44 (Monday, March 7, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 11697-11698]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-04883]


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FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION

16 CFR Part 23


Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries

AGENCY: Federal Trade Commission (``FTC'' or ``Commission'').

ACTION: Extension of deadline for submission of public comments.

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SUMMARY: The FTC is extending the deadline for filing public comments 
on the Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries.

DATES: Comments will be accepted until June 3, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Interested parties may file comments online or on paper by 
following the instructions at the end of the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
section below. Write ``Jewelry Guides, 16 CFR part 23, Project No. 
G711001'' on your comment, and file your comment online at https://ftcpublic.commentworks.com/ftc/jewelryguidesreview by following the 
instructions on the web-based form. 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 O), 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 (Annex 
O), Washington, DC 20024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Reenah L. Kim, Attorney, (202) 326-
2272, Division of Enforcement, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal 
Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20580.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:On January 12, 2016, as part of the 
Commission's systematic review of its rules and guides, the FTC 
published a notice in the Federal Register (``FRN'') requesting public 
comments on proposed revisions to the Guides for the Jewelry, Precious 
Metals, and Pewter Industries (``Jewelry Guides'' or ``Guides'').\1\ As 
set forth in the FRN, the Commission proposed several changes and 
additions designed to help prevent deception in jewelry marketing. The 
FRN invited comments on the proposed revisions generally, and also 
posed a series of 75 questions on specific issues. The FRN set April 4, 
2016 as the deadline for filing comments.
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    \1\ 81 FR 1349 (Jan. 12, 2016).
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    A trade association representing jewelry industry members, Jewelers 
Vigilance Committee (``JVC''), requests a 60-day extension of the 
comment deadline. JVC explains that the FRN poses many questions that 
may require consumer research, metallurgical testing, and other 
information developed through experts. JVC states that additional time 
is therefore needed for the committees it has convened to coordinate 
their work, perform the necessary analysis, and develop meaningful 
consumer research and other expert information.
    Given the complexity and range of issues raised in the FRN, 
including the request for consumer perception evidence, the Commission 
believes that allowing additional time for filing comments would help 
facilitate the creation of a more complete record. Moreover, this brief 
extension would not harm consumers because the current Guides remain in 
effect during the review process. Therefore, the Commission has decided 
to extend the comment period to June 3, 2016.
    You can file a comment online or on paper. For the Commission to 
consider your comment, we must receive it on or before June 3, 2016. 
Write ``Jewelry Guides, 16 CFR part 23, Project No. G711001'' on your 
comment. Your comment--including your name and your state--will be 
placed on the public record of this proceeding, including, to the 
extent practicable, on the public Commission Web site, at http://www.ftc.gov/os/publiccomments.shtm. As a matter of discretion, the 
Commission tries to remove individuals' home contact information from 
comments before placing them on the Commission Web site. Because your 
comment will be made public, you are solely responsible for making sure 
that your comment does not include any sensitive personal information, 
such as 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 making sure that 
your comment does not include any sensitive health information, such as 
medical records or other individually-identifiable health information. 
In addition, do not include any ``trade secret or any commercial or 
financial information which . . . is privileged or confidential,'' as 
discussed in Section 6(f) of the FTC Act, 15 U.S.C. 46(f), and FTC Rule 
4.10(a)(2), 16 CFR 4.10(a)(2). In particular, do not include 
competitively sensitive information such as costs, sales statistics, 
inventories, formulas, patterns, devices, manufacturing processes, or 
customer names.
    If you want the Commission to give your comment confidential 
treatment, you must file it in paper form, with a request for 
confidential treatment, and you must follow the procedure explained in 
FTC Rule 4.9(c), 16 CFR 4.9(c).\2\ Your comment will be kept 
confidential only if the FTC General Counsel, in his or her sole 
discretion, grants your request in accordance with the law and the 
public interest.
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    \2\ 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), 16 CFR 4.9(c).
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    Postal mail addressed to the Commission is subject to delay due to 
heightened security screening. Accordingly, we encourage you to submit 
your comments online. To make sure that the Commission considers your 
online comment, you must file it at https://ftcpublic.commentworks.com/ftc/jewelryguidesreview by following the instructions on the web-based 
form. If this Notice appears at http://www.regulations.gov, you also 
may file a comment through that Web site.
    If you file your comment on paper, write ``Jewelry Guides, 16 CFR 
part 23, Project No. G711001'' on your comment

[[Page 11698]]

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 O), 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 (Annex O), Washington, DC 20024. If possible, submit your paper 
comment to the Commission by courier or overnight service.
    Visit the Commission Web site at http://www.ftc.gov 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 June 3, 2016. You can find more information, 
including routine uses permitted by the Privacy Act, in the 
Commission's privacy policy at http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/privacy.htm.

    By direction of the Commission.
Donald S. Clark
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-04883 Filed 3-4-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6750-01-P