N.Y. General Business Law § 580: Purpose and intent

§ 580. Purpose and intent. It is hereby determined and declared that

sales to be licensed and regulated pursuant to the provisions of this

article have often been conducted and advertised in such a manner as to

mislead and defraud the public and otherwise to result in harm to the

public interest. Such fraud and imposition on the public has included,

by way of partial enumeration only: the misrepresentation of the

condition or necessity which is the occasion of such sale; the

misrepresentation of the identity of the person conducting such sale,

and the name and style in which such sale is to be conducted; the

misrepresentation that the goods offered at such sale are selling at

sacrifice prices; the misrepresentation that the operator of the sale is

selling merchandise on hand at the time when the necessity, which is the

occasion of such sale, arose, when in fact he is replenishing his stock

with additional merchandise both prior to the commencement and during

the conduct of such sale so as to foist upon the public such added

merchandise as though it were part of the original stock; and the

excessive valuation and misrepresentation of the quality, former price

and ownership of the goods to be sold at such sale. In order to prevent

such fraud and imposition, the public interest requires the regulation

of such sales and the duration and conduct thereof; and the public

interest, therefore requires that no such sale should be conducted

without a license or otherwise than in accordance with this article.