Pledge of adherence to FTC trade practice rules as condition to membership in trade association

No. 64. Pledge of adherence to FTC trade practice rules as condition to membership in trade association. A trade association proposing to require appJicants for membership to certify to it that they are foUowing the Federal Trade Commission s Trade Practice Rules for the industry inv01ved, as a condition of membership, has been advised by the Commission that this wou1d not be iUega1. The association informed the FTC it is aware of the fact that it is not authorized to enforce the 1aw, but that it fee1s those who do not observe the ru1es are not operating their businesses in a manner which is strictly in the pubJic interest and therefore should not be eligible for membership. It stated that it contemp1ates no enforcement program beyond requiring the pledge and referral of appropriate cases to the Commission. " the On the basis of the information you have presented FTC' s advisory opinion said the Commission has concluded that the inclusion of this pledge on the application for membership would not, in and of itself, appear to violate any of the laws administered by the Commission. This, of course, assumes that the p1edge wil be required of an app1icants aJike. " (File No. 6437030, released June 22, 1966.