Rhode Island § 11-18-10 - Fraud and False Dealing

§ 11-18-10. False statements in advertising.

(a) No person, firm, corporation, or association with intent to sell or in any way dispose of merchandise, securities, service or anything offered by that person, firm, corporation or association, directly or indirectly, to the public for sale or distribution, or with intent to increase the consumption of or to induce the public in any manner to enter into any obligation relating to the merchandise or service, or to acquire title to it or an interest in it, shall make, publish, disseminate, circulate, or place before the public, or cause directly or indirectly to be made, published, disseminated, circulated, or placed before the public, in this state, in a newspaper or other publication, or in the form of a book, notice, handbill, poster, sign, billboard, bill, circular, pamphlet, or letter, or by means of a photograph, motion pictures, radio, loudspeaker, television, telephone, telegraph, or in any other way, an advertisement of any sort regarding merchandise, securities, service or anything so offered to the public, which advertisement contains any assertion, representation, or statement of fact which is untrue and designed to be deceptive or misleading or is intended or designed not to sell the merchandise, securities, service, or anything so advertised at the price stated in it, or otherwise communicated or with intent not to sell the merchandise, securities, service, or anything so advertised.

(b) Any person, firm, corporation, or association who shall violate any of the provisions of this section shall, upon conviction, be fined not less than fifty dollars ($50.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500), or be imprisoned not more than ninety (90) days, or shall suffer both fine and imprisonment.