§ 59-943.1. Advertisement of ophthalmic lenses, frames, eyeglasses, spectacles or parts.  


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  • Section 943.1  A.  No person, firm or corporation shall publish or display, or cause or permit to be published or displayed in any newspaper or by radio, television, window display, poster, sign, billboard or any other means, any statement or advertisement concerning ophthalmic lenses, frames, eyeglasses, spectacles or parts thereof, that is fraudulent, deceitful or misleading, including statements or advertisements of discount, premiums, price, gifts or any statements or advertisements of a similar nature, import or meaning or which is likely to mislead or deceive because in context it makes only a partial disclosure of relevant facts.

    B.  No person, firm or corporation shall publish or display or cause or permit to be published or displayed in any newspaper, or by radio, television, window display, poster, sign, billboard or any other means of media, any statement or advertisement of or reference to the price or prices of any eyeglasses, spectacles, lenses, frames or any other optical device or materials or parts thereof requiring a prescription from a licensed physician or optometrist unless such person, firm or corporation complies with the provisions of subsections C through E of this section.

    C.  Any advertisement or statement published or displayed that contains the price of an item in any of the following categories:

    1.  Single vision lenses;

    2.  Kryptok bifocal lenses;

    3.  Regular bifocal lenses;

    4.  Trifocal lenses;

    5.  Aphakic lenses;

    6.  Prism lenses;

    7.  Double segment bifocal lenses;

    8.  Subnormal vision lenses;

    9.  Tinted lenses; and

    10.  Frames;

    or any other items advertised shall also contain the prices of all items in the same category.  All items and prices shall be published or displayed with equal prominence.  No advertisement that shows the price of items listed in the categories shown above shall contain any language which directly or indirectly compares the prices so quoted with any other prices of similar items.  In showing the price of all items in any category, it shall be permissible to combine two or more categories into one general category of "all other lenses" and designate the price thereby of "up to $_____," which represents the highest price of any lenses included within this combined general category.  Should there be a category in which two or more price differentials exist, it shall be permissible for the category to have a single listing in the advertisement with the lowest and the highest price in the category designated.

    D.  In the event the dispensing optician owns more than one office, the prices for all eyeglasses, spectacles, lenses, frames or other optical devices or materials or parts thereof in the same category shall be the same in all offices located within the same county or city regardless of the name under which the dispensing optician operates the offices.

    E.  All items advertised by price in accordance with this section shall be available at the advertised price without limit to quantity unless the advertisement contained quantity limitations to all persons including, but not limited to, individuals, physicians, optometrists and dispensing opticians.

    F.  Any advertisement quoting a price or prices of spectacles, eyeglasses and other optical appliances only, shall contain a readily legible statement that the quoted price or prices "Does not include professional services of an examining optometrist or physician."

    G.  Dispensers of optical appliances or devices are subject to the Oklahoma Deceptive Trade Practices Act, as provided in Sections 51 through 55 of Title 78 of the Oklahoma Statutes, and in addition to the civil remedies provided therein, it shall be a misdemeanor for any dispenser of optical appliances or devices as defined herein to knowingly commit a deceptive trade practice as defined in the Oklahoma Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

    H.  A person who violates any provision of this act is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction is punishable by a fine of not less than Fifty Dollars ($50.00) nor more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or by confinement in the county jail for not less than two (2) months nor more than six (6) months, or both.  A separate offense is committed each day a violation of this act occurs or continues.  Should the violator be an optometrist, such violation also constitutes grounds for revocation of his license to practice optometry.  Provided, however, the owner, officer or employee of any advertising media, not otherwise having a pecuniary interest in any advertising authorized by the provisions of this act, shall not be guilty of the misdemeanor hereinabove defined by reason of the publishing or other delivery of any advertising furnished by a vendor of the service or material so advertised.

Laws 1978, c. 37, § 2.