[Federal Register: April 28, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 82)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 22848-22849]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28ap08-19]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The FTC is extending the deadline for filing public comments
on a proposed amendment to the platinum section of the Guides for the
Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries for an additional
ninety (90) days.
DATES: Written comments must be received on or before August 25, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Interested parties are invited to submit written comments.
Comments should refer to ``Jewelry Guides, Matter No. G711001'' to
facilitate the organization of comments. A comment filed in paper form
should include this reference both in the text and on the envelope, and
should be mailed or delivered, with two copies, to the following
address: Federal Trade Commission/Office of the Secretary, Room 135-H
(Annex E), 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580. If
the comment contains any material for which confidential treatment is
requested, it must be filed in paper (rather than electronic) form, and
the first page of the document must be clearly labeled
``Confidential.''\1\ The FTC is requesting that any comment filed in
paper form be sent by courier or overnight service, if possible,
because U.S. postal mail in the Washington area, and at the Commission,
is subject to delay due to heightened security precautions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Commission Rule 4.2(d), 16 CFR 4.2 (d). The comment must be
accompanied by an explicit request for confidential treatment,
including the factual and legal basis for the request, and must
identify the specific portions of the comment to be withheld from
the public record. The request will be granted or denied by the
Commission's General Counsel, consistent with applicable law and the
public interest. See Commission Rule 4.9(c), 16 CFR 4.9(c).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Because U.S. postal mail is subject to delay due to heightened
security measures, please consider submitting your comments in
electronic form. Comments filed in electronic form (except comments
containing any confidential material) should be submitted by clicking
on the following: https://secure.commentworks.com/ftc-jewelry and
following the instructions on the web-based form. To ensure that the
Commission considers an electronic comment, you must file it on the
web-based form at https://secure.commentworks.com/ftc-jewelry. If this
Notice appears at http://www.regulations.gov, you may also file an
electronic comment through that website. The Commission will consider
all comments that regulations.gov forwards to it.
The FTC Act and other laws 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, whether filed in paper or electronic
form. Comments will be available to the public on the FTC website, to
the extent practicable, at http://www.ftc.gov. As a matter of
discretion, the FTC makes every effort to remove home contact
information for individuals from the public comments it receives before
placing those comments on the FTC website. More information, including
routine uses permitted by the Privacy Act, may be found in the FTC's
privacy policy at http://www.ftc.gov/ftc/privacy.htm.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robin Rosen Spector, Attorney, (202)
326-3740, or Janice Podoll Frankle, Attorney, (202) 326-3022, Division
of Enforcement, Bureau of Consumer Protection, Federal Trade
Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20580.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On February 26, 2008, the Commission
published a request for comment on a proposed amendment to the platinum
section of the Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter
Industries\2\ (Jewelry Guides or Guides). The
[[Page 22849]]
proposed amendment provides guidance on how to mark or describe non-
deceptively products that contain at least 500 parts per thousand, but
less than 850 parts per thousand, pure platinum and do not contain at
least 950 parts per thousand platinum group metals. The Commission also
sought comment on whether it should revise the Guides to provide
guidance on how to mark or describe platinum-clad, filled, plated, or
overlay products. The notice designated May 27, 2008 as the deadline
for filing public comments.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ 73 FR 10190 (February 26, 2008).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two trade associations that represent jewelry industry members,
Platinum Guild International (PGI) and Jewelers Vigilance Committee
(JVC), request a 90-day extension of the comment period. The
associations explain that the Commission requested responses to 19
questions, that include over 20 subparts, and expressly requested
submission of empirical data.\3\ PGI states that the current deadline
does not provide sufficient time to develop its comments and generate
data to address the questions. JVC explains that the current period
does not allow sufficient time for its Platinum Task Force \4\ to
collect the information required to fully address the issues.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ The notice includes 19 questions that have 27 sub-parts. Id.
\4\ The JVC co-chairs this task force with two other industry
trade associations, Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America
and Jewelers of America.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Karat Platinum LLC, a marketer of platinum/base metal alloys, filed
a comment opposing the request for extension. Karat Platinum asserts
that additional time is not needed in order to fully and completely
respond to the Commission's request for comment and that a delay will
perpetuate market confusion. Karat Platinum states that the issues
surrounding the appropriate terminology for this alloy are not new and
many of the questions in the request for comment overlap with those
posed in the Commission's 2005 FRN requesting comment on this issue.\5\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ 70 FR 38836 (July 6, 2005).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Commission is mindful of the need to deal with this matter
expeditiously. However, the Commission also recognizes that its
proposal raises complex issues and believes that extending the comment
period to facilitate the creation of a more complete record outweighs
any harm that might result from any delay. Accordingly, the Commission
has decided to extend the comment period to August 25, 2008.
By direction of the Commission.
Donald S. Clark,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-9171 Filed 4-25-08: 8:45 am]
Billing Code 6750-01-S