RS 3:4617 Fraud by vendors or by purchaser - Louisiana Statutes

§4617.  Fraud by vendors or by purchaser

A.  No one shall misrepresent the price or quantity of a commodity, thing, or service sold or offered or exposed for sale, to any actual or prospective customer.

B.  No one shall take more than the quantity represented of any commodity, thing, or service, when, as buyer, he furnishes the weight, measure, or weighing or measuring device by means of which the amount of the commodity, thing, or service is determined.

C.  No one shall misrepresent the name, or type of any fruit, vegetable, grain, meat, or fish, including catfish, sold, or offered or exposed for sale, to any actual or prospective consumer.  "Catfish" shall mean only those species within the family Ictaluridae or the family Anarhichadidae and grown in the United States of America.

D.  No person shall advertise, sell, offer or expose for sale, or distribute food or food products as "Cajun", "Louisiana Creole", or any derivative thereof unless the food or food product would qualify for the ten percent preference for products produced, processed, or manufactured in Louisiana under R.S. 38:2251 and R.S. 39:1595.  Food brought into and processed in Louisiana shall not be considered as food or food products made in Louisiana, for purposes of this Section, unless the food has been substantially transformed by processing in Louisiana.

E.  No person shall advertise, sell, offer or expose for sale, or distribute food or food products that do not qualify under this Section for labeling as "Cajun", "Louisiana Creole", or any derivative thereof in any packaging that would lead a reasonable person to believe that the food or food product qualifies as "Cajun" or "Louisiana Creole" food or food products, as defined in this Section.

F.(1)  The legislature hereby finds, determines, and declares that the terms "Cajun" and "Louisiana Creole" are terms that refer to the unique and distinctive culture and lifestyle that originated in, are connected with, and have continued to flourish in a region within the state of Louisiana.

(2) The legislature hereby finds, determines, and declares that the terms "Cajun" and "Louisiana Creole," when used in commerce in connection with goods, including agricultural goods or services refer to, and are generally recognized and accepted by Louisiana, national, and foreign consumers as referring to, originating in or being substantially connected with the state of Louisiana and the unique and distinctive culture and lifestyle that originated in, are connected with and have continued to flourish in a region within the state of Louisiana.

(3) The legislature hereby finds, determines, and declares that the use of the terms "Cajun" and "Louisiana Creole," when used in commerce in connection with goods, including agricultural goods or services that do not originate in, are not substantially connected with, or are not substantially transformed in the state of Louisiana, or in or with that unique and distinctive Cajun culture and lifestyle that originated in, are connected with, and have continued to flourish in a region within the state of Louisiana, are primarily geographically deceptively misdescriptive and are likely to cause confusion, mistake, or deception as to the origin, sponsorship, affiliation, connection or approval of said goods or services in, by, with or of the state of Louisiana.

(4) No person shall, on or in connection with any goods, including agricultural goods, or services, or any container for goods including agricultural goods, use in commerce the terms "Cajun" or "Louisiana Creole" or any derivative or combination thereof, in any manner which (a) is likely to cause confusion, or to cause mistake, or to deceive as to the affiliation, connection, or association of such person with the state of Louisiana, or as to the origin, sponsorship, or approval of such person’s goods, including agricultural goods, services, or commercial activities in or by the state of Louisiana; or (b) in commercial advertising or promotion, misrepresents the nature, characteristics, qualities, or geographic origin of said person's or another person's goods, including agricultural goods, services or commercial activities.

Acts 1992, No. 55, §1; Acts 2002, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 125, §1, eff. April 23, 2002; Acts 2003, No. 1257, §1, eff. July 7, 2003; Acts 2004, No. 9, §1, eff. May 6, 2004; Acts 2006, No. 661, §1, eff. June 29, 2006.