CONSUMER AFFAIRS: FTC website designed for businesses

Many government consumer–related websites focus on informing only consumers.

However, the Federal Trade Commission's Business Center website is designed specifically to give businesses tools to better understand and comply with consumer protection law.

The Business Center (located at www.business.ftc.gov ) offers links to regulatory information by general topic (advertising and marketing, credit and finance, and privacy and security) and by particular industry (e.g., automobiles, funerals, mortgages, etc.).

A legal resources section seeks to provide businesses with case summaries and administrative rules and other compliance documents.

A section on multimedia provides podcasts and short videos that explain generally the compliance requirements businesses have for various consumer protection statutes and agency regulations.

Videos currently highlighted at the site provide information on, for example, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule, the Business Opportunity Rule, the Fair Debt Protection Act and the CAN SPAM Act.

Of course, businesses should seek competent professional advice regarding the law and its application to the business' specific requirements and not rely on representations regarding the law set out in online sources, even when offered by an agency like the FTC.

However, the information available at the FTC's website can alert business operators generally to issues of which they were previously unaware, leading them to then seek the legal counsel they need.

Since business operators also can be the victims of fraud, the FTC website includes information dealing with protecting your business from fraud.

Website information is available in Spanish.

Opinions are solely the writer's. Joseph Pellicciotti is a lawyer, professor, and vice chancellor at Indiana University Northwest.