Conformity Magazine - October 2008 - (Page 10)

NewsBreaks FCC Releases Annual Report on National Do-Not-Call Registry The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has submitted to Congress its annual report on the national Do-Not-Call Registry for fiscal years 2006 and 2007. According to the report, over 145 million telephone numbers had been entered into the Registry by the end of fiscal year 2007 (September 30, 2007), with over 13 million numbers added in FY 2007. This compares with just over 107 million telephone numbers in the Registry at the end of fiscal year 2005. The Do-Not-Call Registry was jointly implemented in October 2003 by the FCC and the Federal Trade Commission as a tool for consumers who wish to avoid unwanted telemarketing phone calls. Telemarketers are required to pay fees to access information in the Registry, and to eliminate from their own databases telephone numbers that have been registered. The total amount of fees paid since the inception of the Registry through the end of FY 2007 is estimated at over $80 million, with more than $21 million paid in FY 2007 alone. Our readers can view the complete report on the national Do-Not-Call Registry at www.conformity.com/2210. Commission Cracks Down (for the Fourth Time!) On Junk Fax Marketer The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is still hot on the heels of a Texas-based company for repeated violations of its rules against the sending of unsolicited fax advertisements. In its fourth such action against the company, The Hot Lead LLC, based in Addison, TX, the Commission issued in July a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture in the amount of $739,500 in connection with the company’s delivery of at least 146 unsolicited advertisements via fax to at least 70 separate consumers. As we’ve previously reported (see Conformity, November 2007, Conformity, June 2008, and Conformity, August 2008), the Commission had previously issued a Forfeiture Order for nearly $2.6 million against Hot Lead for delivering at least 417 junk faxes to at least 149 consumers According to the FCC, Hot Lead has repeatedly failed to respond to Commission communications, beginning in May 2006, when the FCC issued an initial Citation against the company, followed by three separate Notices of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, issued in August and December 2007, and in May 2008. Violations of the FCC’s regulations regarding junk faxes typically result in proposed monetary fines of up to $11,000 per violation. FCC Releases Quarterly Reports on Consumer Inquiries and Complaints The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has released its quarterly report on inquiries and complaints made by consumers to the agency’s Consumer & Government Affairs Bureau during the third quarter of calendar year 2007. The Bureau regularly tracks inquiries and complaints from consumers on matters within the scope of the Commission’s jurisdiction. In the area of wireline telecommunications matters, the Bureau is particularly interested in instances of “cramming” (the placing of unauthorized, misleading or deceptive charges on a telephone bill) and “slamming” (the practice of changing a subscriber’s telecommunications service provider or calling plan without the subscriber’s permission). The Commission also tracks violations of the Federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), which includes regulations DiLbert: © Scott Adams/Dist. by United feature Syndicate, inc. reprinted with permission. 10 Conformity oCtober 2008 http://www.conformity.com/2210

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Conformity Magazine - October 2008 Contents Editor's Note FCC Releases Annual Report on National Do-Not-Call Registry Commission Cracks Down (for the Fourth Time!) On Junk Fax Marketer FCC Releases Quarterly Reports on Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Greenpeace Ranks Electronics Manufacturers Standards List For The EU’s Energy Consumption Directive Published EU Commission Publishes Standards List for Directives on Pressure Equipment, Pressure Vessels Standards List for the EU’s Medical Devices Directive Available The IEEE Product Safety Engineering Society: The First Five Years ESD Open Forum Improving Election Security and Accuracy: The Future of Voting System Certification Conformity Assessment and Accreditation: Their Role in the Global Market Design Issues in Extreme EMC Environment Focus On... Test Equipment Buyers Guide Product News Updated Standards List for EU Directive on Active Implantable Medical Devices FDA Warns of Effects from CT Scans on Electronic Medical Devices FDA Provides Report Card on Its PMA Review Process CPSC Releases Import Safety Strategy Other CPSC Actions in the News IEC Standards Update Product Reviews UL Standards Update Telcordia Standards Update From Our “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up” Department Looking Back: Items from Past Issues of Conformity Advertisers

Conformity Magazine - October 2008

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