PUBLIC LAW 103-297—AUG. 16, 1994 108 STAT. 1549 SEC. 5. ACTIONS BY PRIVATE PERSONS. 15 USC 6104. (a) IN GENERAL.— ^iVny person adversely affected by any pattern or practice of telemarketing which violates any rule of the Commission under section 3, or an authorized person acting on such person's behalf, may, within 3 years after discovery of the violation, bring a civil action in an appropriate district court of the United States against a person who has engaged or is engaging in such pattern or practice of telemarketing if the amount in controversy exceeds the sum or value of $50,000 in actual damages for each person adversely affected by such telemarketing. Such an action may be brought to enjoin such telemarketing, to enforce compliance with any rule of the Commission under section 3, to obtain damages, or to obtain such further and other relief as the court may deem appropriate. (b) NOTICE. —The plaintiff shall serve prior written notice of the action upon the Commission and provide the Commission with a copy of its complaint, except in any case where such prior notice is not feasible, in which case the person shall serve such notice immediately upon instituting such action. The Commission shall have the right (A) to intervene in the action, (B) upon so intervening, to be heard on all matters arising therein, and (C) to file petitions for appeal. (c) ACTION BY THE COMMISSION.—W henever a civil action has been instituted by or on behalf of the Commission for violation of any rule prescribed under section 3, no person may, during the pendency of such action instituted by or on behalf of the Commission, institute a civil action against any defendant named in the complaint in such action for violation of any rule as alleged in such complaint. (d) COST AND FEES. — The court, in issuing any final order in any action brought under subsection (a), may award costs of suit and reasonable fees for attorneys and expert witnesses to the prevailing party. (e) CONSTRUCTION.— Nothing in this section shall restrict any right which any person may have under any statute or common law. (f) VENUE; SERVICE OF PROCESS. —Any civil action brought under subsection (a) in a district court of the United States may be brought in the district in which the defendant is found, is an inhabitant, or transacts business or wherever venue is proper under section 1391 of title 28, United States Code. Process in such an action may be served in any district in which the defendant is an inhabitant or in which the defendant may be found. SEC. 6. ADMINISTRATION AND APPLICABILITY OF ACT. 15 USC 6105. (a) IN GENERAL. —Except as otherwise provided in sections 3(d), 3(e), 4, and 5, this Act shall be enforced by the Commission under the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.). Consequently, no activity which is outside the jurisdiction of that Act shall be affected by this Act. (b) ACTIONS BY THE COMMISSION.—The Commission shall prevent any person from violating a rule of the Commission under section 3 in the same manner, by the same means, and with the same jurisdiction, powers, and duties as though all applicable terms and provisions of the Federal Trade Commission Act (15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.) were incorporated into and made a part of this Act. Any person who violates such rule shall be subject to 79-194 O—95—27: QL 3 Part 2
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