Document Type

Article

Publication Title

The Oxford Companion to American Law

Publication Date

2002

Abstract

Consumer laws are created and enforced by private understandings and by public institutions and agencies. They are both formal and informal in nature, and they range in geographical scope from the local to the global. Private rules and informal trade customs, including voluntary industry standards, establish the context in which everyday consumer transactions take place. In many places, for example, local customs permit us to take a bit out of an apple in the vegetable market before we decide to buy. Standards-setting bodies (for example, the Society of Automotive Engineers or the National Association of Broadcasters) develop widely adhered-to standards for manufacturing, distributing, and retailing.

Comments

This article is from The Oxford Companion to American Law edited by Kermit L. Hall.

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