Bill > H1102

This bill modifies existing Massachusetts law to strengthen protections against unauthorized use of bank names, trade names, and trademarks in electronic and other communications. The legislation prohibits any person or business entity from using a financial institution's name or references to its specific loan information in advertisements or solicitations without express written consent. The bill broadly defines "advertisement" and "electronic communication" to include various media like emails, text messages, websites, and direct mail. Specifically, the bill requires that if a company uses publicly available loan information about a specific consumer, they must clearly disclose on the front page that they are not sponsored by, affiliated with, or authorized by the referenced financial institution. The disclosure must include the sender's name, address, and telephone number, and state that the loan information was not provided by the bank. Any violation of these provisions is considered an unfair and deceptive practice under Massachusetts consumer protection law, which could subject the offending entity to potential legal penalties. The goal of the bill appears to be protecting consumers from potentially misleading communications that might be confused with official bank communications.

Business and Industry

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H1102