HB 1796 -- Deceptive Advertising

Sponsor:  Schieffer

This bill prohibits an individual or business organization from
misrepresenting the geographic location of the service or product
supplier by using a fictitious or an assumed business name in an
advertisement in a local telephone directory or in a directory
assistance database.  Misrepresentation occurs if the name
misrepresents the location of the supplier of the goods or
service, the listing fails to identify the address and state of
the supplier, calls to the local number are routinely forwarded
to a location outside the scope of the local telephone directory,
or the business location of the supplier is not in a county
bordering a county that is part of the local telephone directory
calling area.  Violations of the bill may result in actions for
injunctive relief, restitution, and a civil penalty payable to
the state of up to $1,000 per violation.

Telephone companies and telephone directory publishers or their
officers and agents are immune from liability for publishing the
listing of a fictitious or assumed business unless they were the
persons who committed the deceptive practice.

Missouri House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated October 15, 2008 at 3:11 pm