§4617. Fraud by vendors or by purchaser
A. No one shall misrepresent the price or quantity of a commodity, thing, or service
sold or offered or exposed for sale, to any actual or prospective customer.
B. No one shall take more than the quantity represented of any commodity, thing,
or service, when, as buyer, he furnishes the weight, measure, or weighing or measuring
device by means of which the amount of the commodity, thing, or service is determined.
C. No one shall misrepresent the name, origin, or type of any fruit, vegetable, grain,
meat, shellfish, or fish, including catfish, sold, or offered or exposed for sale, to any actual
or prospective consumer. "Catfish" shall mean only those species within the family of
Ictaluridae, Ariidae or Loricariidae.
D. No person shall advertise, sell, offer or expose for sale, or distribute food or food
products as "Cajun", "Louisiana Creole", or any derivative thereof unless the food or food
product would qualify for the ten percent preference for products produced, processed, or
manufactured in Louisiana under R.S. 38:2251 and R.S. 39:1595. Food brought into and
processed in Louisiana shall not be considered as food or food products made in Louisiana,
for purposes of this Section, unless the food has been substantially transformed by processing
in Louisiana.
E. No person shall advertise, sell, offer or expose for sale, or distribute food or food
products that do not qualify under this Section for labeling as "Cajun", "Louisiana Creole",
or any derivative thereof in any packaging that would lead a reasonable person to believe that
the food or food product qualifies as "Cajun" or "Louisiana Creole" food or food products,
as defined in this Section.
F.(1) The legislature hereby finds, determines, and declares that the terms "Cajun"
and "Louisiana Creole" are terms that refer to the unique and distinctive culture and lifestyle
that originated in, are connected with, and have continued to flourish in a region within the
state of Louisiana.
(2) The legislature hereby finds, determines, and declares that the terms "Cajun" and
"Louisiana Creole," when used in commerce in connection with goods, including agricultural
goods or services refer to, and are generally recognized and accepted by Louisiana, national,
and foreign consumers as referring to, originating in or being substantially connected with
the state of Louisiana and the unique and distinctive culture and lifestyle that originated in,
are connected with and have continued to flourish in a region within the state of Louisiana.
(3) The legislature hereby finds, determines, and declares that the use of the terms
"Cajun" and "Louisiana Creole," when used in commerce in connection with goods,
including agricultural goods or services that do not originate in, are not substantially
connected with, or are not substantially transformed in the state of Louisiana, or in or with
that unique and distinctive Cajun culture and lifestyle that originated in, are connected with,
and have continued to flourish in a region within the state of Louisiana, are primarily
geographically deceptively misdescriptive and are likely to cause confusion, mistake, or
deception as to the origin, sponsorship, affiliation, connection or approval of said goods or
services in, by, with or of the state of Louisiana.
(4) No person shall, on or in connection with any goods, including agricultural
goods, or services, or any container for goods including agricultural goods, use in commerce
the terms "Cajun" or "Louisiana Creole" or any derivative or combination thereof, in any
manner which (a) is likely to cause confusion, or to cause mistake, or to deceive as to the
affiliation, connection, or association of such person with the state of Louisiana, or as to the
origin, sponsorship, or approval of such person’s goods, including agricultural goods,
services, or commercial activities in or by the state of Louisiana; or (b) in commercial
advertising or promotion, misrepresents the nature, characteristics, qualities, or geographic
origin of said person's or another person's goods, including agricultural goods, services or
commercial activities.
Acts 1992, No. 55, §1; Acts 2002, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 125, §1, eff. April 23, 2002;
Acts 2003, No. 1257, §1, eff. July 7, 2003; Acts 2004, No. 9, §1, eff. May 6, 2004; Acts
2006, No. 661, §1, eff. June 29, 2006; Acts 2010, No. 16, §1, eff. May 26, 2010; Acts 2016,
No. 220, §1.