Law label
Encyclopedia
A law label is a legally required tag or label
on new items describing the fabric and filling regulating the United States
mattress
, upholstery
and stuffed article
(e.g.: pillow
s, plush toy
s, comforter
s, etc.) industry. Typically these tags begin with a phrase such as This tag may not be removed under penalty of law except by the consumer. Some states require tags on used bedding as well.
The purpose of the law label is to inform the consumer of the hidden contents, or “filling materials” inside bedding & furniture products. The law label was born in the early 1900s to prevent these articles from being further manufactured with contents such as horse hair, corn husks and whatever else a manufacturer could find to use that the consumer would never see. It’s similar to food labeling.
Law
s requiring these tags were passed in the United States
to inform consumer
s as to whether the stuffed article
they were buying contained new or recycled materials. This was and still is considered important as contaminated, recycled stuffing material could contain lice, bedbug
s, or human excretion
s.
Such stuffed article
labelling laws exist in other jurisdiction
s, for example, the tag required on duvet
s sold in the United Kingdom
, that describe the materials used and the tog
insulation rating.
Many mattress manufacturers such as Sealy
http://www.mattressdirectonline.com/Sealy_Warranty.php, Simmons
http://www.mattressdirectonline.com/Simmons_Warranty.php and Serta
http://www.serta.com/care_warranty.php require these tags to be produced in the event of a warranty claim. If the consumer
chooses to remove these tags, they should be stored in a safe place along with their Warranty
card.
and the "Wanted: Wade" episode of Garfield and Friends
feature characters who are harshly punished for removing a law label. In addition, in one episode of the popular 1970s show, Sanford and Son
, Fred finds a tag with the warning label on and misjudges it to mean that if it is removed, he could go to jail. He tears it up and exclaims "power to the people!" This was before the words "...except by consumer" were added. Even the mattress company Serta
created a commercial where its famous counting sheep
were thrown in jail for an accidental tearing off of the law label, even though by the time the commercial aired, the words "except by consumer" had become commonplace.
A 2007 satirical news story, Fed Steps Up Mattress Safety Tag Removal Enforcement states that penalty for removal of the tags carries a possible 10 year Federal prison sentence and up to a $100,000 fine.
Label
A label is a piece of paper, polymer, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or article, on which is printed a legend, information concerning the product, addresses, etc. A label may also be printed directly on the container or article....
on new items describing the fabric and filling regulating the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
mattress
Mattress
A mattress is a manufactured product to sleep or lie on, consisting of resilient materials and covered with an outer fabric or ticking. In the developed world it is typically part of a bed set and is placed upon a foundation....
, upholstery
Upholstery
Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. The word upholstery comes from the Middle English word upholder, which referred to a tradesman who held up his goods. The term is equally applicable to domestic,...
and stuffed article
Stuffed article
Stuffed article is a legal or industry term describing items such as mattresses, beds, upholstery, pillows, plush toys, teddy bears etc, ie: fabric items stuffed with an inert, resilient material, such as cotton, kapok, or polyurethane foam...
(e.g.: pillow
Pillow
A pillow is a large cushion support for the head, usually used while sleeping in a bed, or for the body as used on a couch or chair. There are also throw pillows , which are pillows that are purely decorative and not designed for support or comfort...
s, plush toy
Toy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
s, comforter
Comforter
A comforter is a type of blanket. Comforters are intended to keep the user warm, especially during sleep, although they can also be used as mattress pads. Comforters are generally large and rectangular in shape, filled with natural or synthetic insulative material and encased in a shell/covering....
s, etc.) industry. Typically these tags begin with a phrase such as This tag may not be removed under penalty of law except by the consumer. Some states require tags on used bedding as well.
The purpose of the law label is to inform the consumer of the hidden contents, or “filling materials” inside bedding & furniture products. The law label was born in the early 1900s to prevent these articles from being further manufactured with contents such as horse hair, corn husks and whatever else a manufacturer could find to use that the consumer would never see. It’s similar to food labeling.
Law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
s requiring these tags were passed in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to inform consumer
Consumer
Consumer is a broad label for any individuals or households that use goods generated within the economy. The concept of a consumer occurs in different contexts, so that the usage and significance of the term may vary.-Economics and marketing:...
s as to whether the stuffed article
Stuffed article
Stuffed article is a legal or industry term describing items such as mattresses, beds, upholstery, pillows, plush toys, teddy bears etc, ie: fabric items stuffed with an inert, resilient material, such as cotton, kapok, or polyurethane foam...
they were buying contained new or recycled materials. This was and still is considered important as contaminated, recycled stuffing material could contain lice, bedbug
Bedbug
Cimicidae are small parasitic insects. The most common type is Cimex lectularius. The term usually refers to species that prefer to feed on human blood...
s, or human excretion
Excretion
Excretion is the process by which waste products of metabolism and other non-useful materials are eliminated from an organism. This is primarily carried out by the lungs, kidneys and skin. This is in contrast with secretion, where the substance may have specific tasks after leaving the cell...
s.
Such stuffed article
Stuffed article
Stuffed article is a legal or industry term describing items such as mattresses, beds, upholstery, pillows, plush toys, teddy bears etc, ie: fabric items stuffed with an inert, resilient material, such as cotton, kapok, or polyurethane foam...
labelling laws exist in other jurisdiction
Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction is the practical authority granted to a formally constituted legal body or to a political leader to deal with and make pronouncements on legal matters and, by implication, to administer justice within a defined area of responsibility...
s, for example, the tag required on duvet
Duvet
A duvet from the French duvet "down"), is a type of bedding — a soft flat bag filled with down, feathers, or a synthetic alternative, and protected with a removable cover, analogous to a pillow and pillow case...
s sold in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, that describe the materials used and the tog
Tog (unit)
The tog is a measure of thermal resistance of a unit area, also known as thermal insulance, commonly used in the textile industry, and often seen quoted on, for example, duvets and carpet underlay....
insulation rating.
Many mattress manufacturers such as Sealy
Sealy Corporation
Sealy Corporation is an American owned major manufacturer of mattresses, based in Trinity, North Carolina, in the United States. The company draws its name from the city where it started, Sealy, Texas.- History :...
http://www.mattressdirectonline.com/Sealy_Warranty.php, Simmons
Simmons Bedding Company
Simmons Bedding Company is a major manufacturer of mattresses and related bedding products. The company is founded in 1870. Simmons' flagship brand is Beautyrest, and it is one of the oldest companies of this type in the USA. According to a Simmons press release, net sales for 2005 were $855...
http://www.mattressdirectonline.com/Simmons_Warranty.php and Serta
Serta (company)
Serta is a company based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois that specializes in making mattresses. It was founded in 1931 by 13 mattress manufacturers who licensed the Serta name, and now eight independent licensees acting like a cooperative own the company...
http://www.serta.com/care_warranty.php require these tags to be produced in the event of a warranty claim. If the consumer
Consumer
Consumer is a broad label for any individuals or households that use goods generated within the economy. The concept of a consumer occurs in different contexts, so that the usage and significance of the term may vary.-Economics and marketing:...
chooses to remove these tags, they should be stored in a safe place along with their Warranty
Warranty
In business and legal transactions, a warranty is an assurance by one party to the other party that specific facts or conditions are true or will happen; the other party is permitted to rely on that assurance and seek some type of remedy if it is not true or followed.In real estate transactions, a...
card.
Popular culture
The wording of the warnings printed on some law labels has caused a common misconception in the USA that removing such a label under any circumstance is a crime, prohibiting consumers from removing labels from items they have purchased. Especially contributing to this confusion was that originally, the wording on such labels did not contain the phrase "except by consumer". This draconian interpretation is commonly lampooned. Pee-wee's Big AdventurePee-wee's Big Adventure
Pee-wee's Big Adventure is a 1985 American adventure comedy film directed by Tim Burton in his full-length debut and starring Paul Reubens as Pee-wee Herman. Reubens also co-wrote the script with Phil Hartman and Michael Varhol. Supporting roles are played by Elizabeth Daily, Mark Holton, Diane...
and the "Wanted: Wade" episode of Garfield and Friends
Garfield and Friends
Garfield and Friends is an American animated television series based on the comic strip Garfield by Jim Davis. The show was produced by Film Roman, in association with United Feature Syndicate and Paws, Inc., and ran on CBS Saturday mornings from September 17, 1988 to December 10, 1994, with...
feature characters who are harshly punished for removing a law label. In addition, in one episode of the popular 1970s show, Sanford and Son
Sanford and Son
Sanford and Son is an American sitcom, based on the BBC's Steptoe and Son, that ran on the NBC television network from January 14, 1972, to March 25, 1977....
, Fred finds a tag with the warning label on and misjudges it to mean that if it is removed, he could go to jail. He tears it up and exclaims "power to the people!" This was before the words "...except by consumer" were added. Even the mattress company Serta
Serta
Serta may refer to:* Sertã, a municipality in central Portugal* Serta , a mattress company based in the United States* Serto, the western form of the Syriac alphabet...
created a commercial where its famous counting sheep
Counting sheep
Counting sheep is a mental exercise used in some cultures as a means of lulling oneself to sleep.In most depictions of the activity, the practitioner envisions an endless series of identical white sheep jumping over a fence, while counting them as they do so...
were thrown in jail for an accidental tearing off of the law label, even though by the time the commercial aired, the words "except by consumer" had become commonplace.
A 2007 satirical news story, Fed Steps Up Mattress Safety Tag Removal Enforcement states that penalty for removal of the tags carries a possible 10 year Federal prison sentence and up to a $100,000 fine.
External links
- International Association of Bedding and Furniture Law Officials Organization of state officials who are responsible for the enforcement of consumer oriented bedding and furniture laws in their respective states.
- Minnesota Statutes 325F.31: Bedding to be labeled. Legal requirements in Minnesota for labeling new or remanufactured bedding.
- Minnesota Statutes 325F.28: Material must be renovated. A legal definition of requirements in Minnesota for sterilizing and renovating old mattresses.