Guns, Priests, and Drugs: New Targets for Old Consumer Laws

New cases targeting Remington Arms for marketing guns for military-style use, a Catholic diocese for touting student safety, and drugmaker Genentech for packaging medication in large, single-use vials, are all getting the attention of consumer law experts for their novelty.

Improper marketing claims themselves aren’t new. They date back to the 1970s when most states passed consumer protection laws modeled on the Federal Trade Commission Act, which prohibits unfair trade practices. The laws require, among other things, that sellers and providers of goods market and advertise their goods truthfully and responsibly.

But what is new are the defendants the suits ...