LOS ANGELES — The Free Speech Coalition will feature a representative from the FTC at its panel at the highly anticipated 2009 XBIZ Summer Forum, slated for June 3-5 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

During the “Wake-up Call: How Consumer Fraud Hurts the Entire Industry” session — scheduled Wednesday, June 3, as part of the FSC XXX University — Stephen L. Cohen, a senior staff attorney with the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, will discuss consumer fraud.

“Under previous democratic administrations, the adult entertainment industry faced federal action from the FTC for false and deceptive practices,” FSC Executive Director Diane Duke said. “We must be proactive as we consider best practices for online billing that will benefit consumers, individual businesses and the industry as a whole. Who better to help us define that line-in-the-sand for billing practices than the FTC itself?”

Cohen has worked in the FTC’s Consumer Protection division for 25 years, primarily working on litigation involving telemarketing and Internet fraud and has been the lead attorney on scores of cases filed in federal courts throughout the U.S.

Among the topics to be explored is a discussion of online consumer fraud — is it on the rise and how prevalent is it in the adult entertainment industry? Also on the agenda is an examination of the legalities surrounding various billing practices as well what operators need to know in order to protect themselves and their companies from government action and/or lawsuits and an unfair competition claims.

Noted adult industry attorney Greg Piccionelli and ATKCash.com program manager “Gunner” will join Cohen on the panel, which will be moderated by the FSC Executive Director Diane Duke.

FSC XXX University is a program that the organization developed to bring educational opportunities to FSC members at low or no cost. The Coalition will also videotape the session and make it available following the Forum at FreeSpeechCoalition.com.

The XBIZ Summer Forum ‘09 is the season’s most talked-about industry show, held at the infamous Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel & Casino — the hottest hotel to mix business and a little rock ‘n’ roll. Join adult industry professionals from around the globe for three days packed with exclusive networking, essential workshops and the kind of entertainment you can only find in Vegas!

To pre-reserve a poolside cabana or get advance details about exclusive sponsorship opportunities, contact [email protected].