Word: ftc
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...Harvard-trained lawyer who had a corporate practice in Grand Rapids, Engman was appointed to the FTC chairmanship in 1973. The Nixon White House evidently wanted a reliably controllable chairman to replace prickly, independent Miles W. Kirkpatrick, who revived the long calcified FTC as a trade watchdog and riled the business community with his emphasis on consumer protection. But instead of taming the FTC, Engman stepped up its activity. Hardly a week passes that the 1,600-man agency does not announce some new rule, investigation or lawsuit. Its principal targets have been monopoly, unfair influence, industrial or professional conspiracy...
That philosophy may find the FTC attacking business methods in one regard, supporting them in another. Thus the commission advocates the banning of advertising that Engman deems deceptive because it unfairly attracts buyers. Nonetheless, Engman is vigorously for advertising, which he believes is necessary if consumers are to "make a rational choice" among competing products. The FTC recently acted to permit pharmacists to advertise the price of prescription drugs (TIME, June 16). Engman would also like to break what he terms the "conspiracies of silence" by the closely knit associations of doctors, lawyers and funeral directors...
...FTC alleged that Hertz, Avis and National conspired to submit identical bids for concession rights at airports, and persuaded airport managers to set requirements for concessions that disqualified competitors. One rule they are alleged to have promoted requires that "concessionaires have a nationwide reservations network." The FTC also accused the three companies of fixing rental prices and stated that smaller competitors kept out of the airports charged 10% to 40% less...
...three rental concerns denied the charges. The FTC chose not to accuse the automakers of any violation, but a spokesman for Ford denied that the advertising agreements were anticompetitive and said the company had similar agreements with some of Hertz's smaller competitors...
...trial of the case before an FTC administrative-law judge may be a year off, and the companies could appeal any unfavorable ruling through the federal courts. If the FTC eventually prevails, the three companies could be forced to pay triple damages to any competitors or consumers who win lawsuits. The FTC might also seek to have one or more of the three big rental companies booted out of some airports and replaced by smaller competitors...