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A class action has been filed against major tobacco companies on behalf of current and former light cigarette smokers in New York. The action alleges that the companies violated the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act when they advertised light cigarettes as being less harmful than regular cigarettes despite knowing they deliver comparable amounts of tar and nicotine.

Several class actions have been filed against tool manufacturer Spear & Jackson, Inc. (OTC:SJCK.OB) and certain of its officers and directors by stockholders who purchased the company's common stock between July 14, 2003, and April 15, 2004. The actions claim that the defendants violated federal securities laws by issuing a series of material misrepresentations to the market over this time period, thereby artificially inflating the price of the company's securities.

Deregulation of the market has done stockholders no favors. Several class actions have been filed against jewelry retailer Friedman's, Inc. Friedman's, Inc. (NYSE: FRM, formerly Nasdaq: FRDM) and certain of its officers and directors by stockholders who purchased the company's common stock between January 26, 2000, through November 17, 2003, and all those who purchased Friedman's shares in its offering on February 11, 2002, for $9.50 per share and its offering on September 18, 2003, for $15.00 per share. The actions claim that the defendants violated federal securities laws by issuing a series of material misrepresentations to the market over this time period, thereby artificially inflating the price of the company's securities.

A statewide class action has been filed in New York against Integretel, Inc., Mercury Marketing of Delaware, Inc. and Neal Saferstein, owner of these companies. The action is brought on behalf of all New York residents who, since 1997, never agreed to pay for an Internet service, or any other service, from Mercury Marketing of Delaware, Inc., or its subsidiaries, but who have been billed by Mercury on their phone bills anyway. The consumers allege that, in agreement with local phone services providers such as Verizon Wireless, Mercury and its subsidiaries illegally piggyback fees for services that are never provided onto consumers' telephone bills. Consumers allege that Mercury and its subsidiaries have a long history of this illegal conduct and have engaged in fraud, breach of contract, breach of warranty, unjust enrichment, tortious conversion and deceptive trade practices as a result of this conduct. Additionally, the consumers allege that Mercury's subsidiary, Integretel, Inc., has violated the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act by attempting to and actually collecting from consumers for these nonexistent services. The consumers are seeking compensatory damages, punitive damages, disgorgement of profits, treble damages as well as injunctive and declaratory relief.

Federal antitrust law allows triple punitive damages against entities that are found guilty of unlawfully tampering with the free enterprise system. 63 different class actions have been filed against automotive paint manufacturers on behalf of all persons and businesses purchased automotive paint from January 1, 1993 to at least December 31, 2000. The action alleges that the companies conspired together in violation of U.S. antitrust laws to fix automotive paint prices across the U.S.

Several class actions have been filed against budget-line health, beauty aid and cosmetic products provider Sel-Leb Marketing, Inc., (OTC BB: SELB.PK) and certain of its officers and directors by stockholders who purchased the company's common stock between April 5, 2002, and February 25, 2004. The actions claim that the defendants violated federal securities laws by issuing a series of material misrepresentations to the market over this time period, thereby artificially inflating the price of the company's securities.

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