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Consumer Protection Law Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2010

University of Washington School of Law

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Consumer Protection Law

Arbitration Nation: Wireless Service Providers And Class Action Waivers, Alexander J. Casey Jul 2010

Arbitration Nation: Wireless Service Providers And Class Action Waivers, Alexander J. Casey

Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts

State consumer protection laws protect the public against unfair and deceptive trade practices. Plaintiffs seeking to invoke such consumer protection laws often bring class action suits to vindicate their rights. However, some jurisdictions have recently shown a willingness to enforce contract arbitration clauses that contain class action waivers. Such waivers prevent consumers from invoking class action status, and may also prevent them from enforcing relevant state consumer protection laws. Other courts, by contrast, have held that service contracts containing class action waivers violate relevant state consumer protection laws and are against public policy. Yet another group of courts facing the …


Mobile Marketing Derailed: How Curbing Cell-Phone Spam In Satterfield V. Simon & Schuster May Have Banned Text-Message Advertising, Gareth S. Lacy Jul 2010

Mobile Marketing Derailed: How Curbing Cell-Phone Spam In Satterfield V. Simon & Schuster May Have Banned Text-Message Advertising, Gareth S. Lacy

Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts

The risk of receiving cell-phone spam—in the form of unsolicited text messages—grows as advertisers increasingly target cell-phone users. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA) clearly prohibits unsolicited telephone calls made by an automated telephone dialing system (ATDS) without the recipient’s express prior consent. But until the Ninth Circuit’s decision in Satterfield v. Simon & Schuster, it was unclear how TCPA applied to text messages. Simon & Schuster argued their text messages were not “calls” under the TCPA and were not sent by an ATDS. The Ninth Circuit disagreed and held a text message is a “call.” The …