---
title: "Read a competition or consumer penalty paper against the civil-penalty sections"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/practice/competition-and-consumer-law/advise-on-an-infringement-notice-from-the-competition-and-consumer-regul/united-states"
type: "task_jurisdiction_version"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "A29-U20261018-11-US"
practice_area: "Competition & Consumer Law (ACCC / ACL)"
tier: "yellow"
lawyer_review: "required"
jurisdictions: ["US"]
last_reviewed: "2026-10-22"
---

# Read a competition or consumer penalty paper against the civil-penalty sections

> List what the paper is, its date, whether it is a court complaint or a Commission order, and the conduct it describes. Do not calculate a penalty.

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/practice/competition-and-consumer-law/advise-on-an-infringement-notice-from-the-competition-and-consumer-regul/united-states  
Last reviewed: 2026-10-22

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Practice area | [Competition & Consumer Law (ACCC / ACL)](https://ailawframework.com/practice/competition-and-consumer-law.md) |
| Human involvement | Yellow: Lawyer and AI draft together |
| How AI is used | List what the paper is, its date, whether it is a court complaint or a Commission order, and the conduct it describes. Do not calculate a penalty. |
| What the lawyer must review | There is no infringement notice in this version. 15 U.S.C. § 45(l) provides a civil penalty, recovered by the Attorney General in a district court, for violating a final Commission order while it is in effect. Each violation is a separate offence, and each day of a continuing failure can be a separate offence. Section 45(m) lets the Commission sue in a district court for a knowing violation of a rule on unfair or deceptive acts, other than an interpretive rule, and, after a final cease-and-desist order other than a consent order, for engaging in that practice with actual knowledge. The Code states a maximum of not more than $10,000 for each violation. Later inflation adjustments were not opened, so do not treat $10,000 as the amount now payable. The court considers culpability, prior conduct, ability to pay, the effect on ability to continue in business, and other matters justice requires. A compromise of a civil-penalty action needs a public statement of reasons and the court's approval. You advise. The tool does not. |
| Written for | United States |
| Applies to | [Advise on an infringement notice from the competition and consumer regulator](https://ailawframework.com/practice/competition-and-consumer-law/advise-on-an-infringement-notice-from-the-competition-and-consumer-regul.md) |

## Checking plan

- What the AI does: List what the paper is, its date, whether it is a court complaint or a Commission order, and the conduct it describes. Do not calculate a penalty.
- Basis: Checked against the linked sources on 22 October 2026. Confirm the current instrument before reliance.

## Notes

- Do not treat $10,000 as the current maximum. The inflation adjustment was not opened.
- A civil penalty is recovered in court. It is not a notice that ends the matter on payment.
- Do not add the days into a total. The court sets the amount.

## Sources

- [15 U.S.C. § 45, FTC Act section 5](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/15/45) (checked 2026-10-22)
- [ABA Formal Opinion 512, Generative Artificial Intelligence Tools (29 July 2024)](https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/administrative/professional_responsibility/ethics-opinions/aba-formal-opinion-512.pdf) (checked 2026-10-22)
- [ABA Model Rule 1.1, Competence](https://www.americanbar.org/groups/professional_responsibility/publications/model_rules_of_professional_conduct/rule_1_1_competence/) (checked 2026-10-22)

## Forms and precedents for this task

| Form or precedent | Kind | AI level | Summary |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [ACCC infringement notice: time and effect record](https://ailawframework.com/precedents/competition-and-consumer-law/infringement-notice-record.md) | Checklist | Yellow | Record of the 28-day compliance period in the ACCC July 2020 guidelines, and of the effect of payment or non-payment. Those guidelines do not say the period begins the day after the notice is issued. |

Signed-in accounts can read the full text of each one.

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*