republic-os/legal/us/code/title-15/chapter-2/section-54.md

type, title, description, jurisdiction, corpus, kind, title_number, title_name, chapter_number, chapter_name, section, citation, status, release_point, release_date, source, source_url, source_identifier, source_file, source_hash, raw_snapshot_hash, text_hash, retrieved_at, confidence, tags

type	title	description	jurisdiction	corpus	kind	title_number	title_name	chapter_number	chapter_name	section	citation	status	release_point	release_date	source	source_url	source_identifier	source_file	source_hash	raw_snapshot_hash	text_hash	retrieved_at	confidence	tags
LegalText	15 U.S.C. § 54	False advertisements; penalties	us	united_states_code	code_section	15	COMMERCE AND TRADE	2	FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION; PROMOTION OF EXPORT TRADE AND PREVENTION OF UNFAIR METHODS OF COMPETITION	54	15 U.S.C. § 54	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc15@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t15/s54	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-15/usc15.xml	c50149032060a6badd6e2859657edcc75be186dfb49f42613b532192ddf1c03d	6982338d990ef19d6b52bff6825089bdd6d0ee1233d9382673faf533decd5059	c4f96a4132093aaf0436cb52b5274c18c2340c494020836734c5f89a11e91fca	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

15 U.S.C. § 54 - False advertisements; penalties

Text

(a) Imposition of penalties Any person, partnership, or corporation who violates any provision of section 52(a) of this title shall, if the use of the commodity advertised may be injurious to health because of results from such use under the conditions prescribed in the advertisement thereof, or under such conditions as are customary or usual, or if such violation is with intent to defraud or mislead, be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine of not more than $5,000 or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment; except that if the conviction is for a violation committed after a first conviction of such person, partnership, or corporation, for any violation of such section, punishment shall be by a fine of not more than $10,000 or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by both such fine and imprisonment: Provided, That for the purposes of this section meats and meat food products duly inspected, marked, and labeled in accordance with rules and regulations issued under the Meat Inspection Act [21 U.S.C. 601 et seq.] shall be conclusively presumed not injurious to health at the time the same leave official “establishments.”

(b) Exception of advertising medium or agency No publisher, radio-broadcast licensee, or agency or medium for the dissemination of advertising, except the manufacturer, packer, distributor, or seller of the commodity to which the false advertisement relates, shall be liable under this section by reason of the dissemination by him of any false advertisement, unless he has refused, on the request of the Commission, to furnish the Commission the name and post-office address of the manufacturer, packer, distributor, seller, or advertising agency, residing in the United States, who caused him to disseminate such advertisement. No advertising agency shall be liable under this section by reason of the causing by it of the dissemination of any false advertisement, unless it has refused, on the request of the Commission, to furnish the Commission the name and post-office address of the manufacturer, packer, distributor, or seller, residing in the United States, who caused it to cause the dissemination of such advertisement.

(Sept. 26, 1914, ch. 311, § 14, as added Mar. 21, 1938, ch. 49, § 4, 52 Stat. 114.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

References in TextThe Meat Inspection Act, referred to in subsec. (a), is act Mar. 4, 1907, ch. 2907, titles I to IV, as added Dec. 15, 1967, Pub. L. 90–201, 81 Stat. 584, which is classified to subchapters I to IV (§ 601 et seq.) of chapter 12 of Title 21, Food and Drugs. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 601 of Title 21 and Tables.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective DateAct Mar. 21, 1938, ch. 49, § 5(b), 52 Stat. 117, provided: “Section 14 of the Federal Trade Commission Act [this section] added to such Act by section 4 of this Act, shall take effect on the expiration of sixty days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Mar. 21, 1938].”

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions For transfer of functions of Federal Trade Commission, with certain exceptions, to Chairman of such Commission, see Reorg. Plan No. 8 of 1950, § 1, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3175, 64 Stat. 1264, set out under section 41 of this title.