In People ex rel. Harris v. Black Hawk Tobacco, Inc., ___ Cal.App.4th ___ (Jul. 13, 2011; pub. ord. Aug. 8, 2011), the Attorney General office used the UCL to enforce several federal and state statutes regulating the sale of tobacco:
The superior court granted a preliminary injunction, prohibiting defendants and appellants Black Hawk Tobacco, Inc. (Black Hawk) and Frederick Allen McAllister (McAllister) from selling cigarettes to non-Indians in violation of state and federal laws. Black Hawk and McAllister appeal from the order granting the injunction. (Code Civ. Proc., § 904.1, subd. (a)(6).)
On appeal, defendants argue that the State of California cannot regulate defendants’ sale of cigarettes to non-Indians because defendants are operating stores located on trust lands held by the United States for the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians (the Band), a federally-recognized tribe. We reject this argument and hold the superior court did not abuse its discretion in granting the preliminary injunction against defendants.
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The unfair competition law, proscribing any unlawful business practice, provides broad authority for an injunction. (Bus. & Prof. Code, § 17200 et seq., § 17203; Cel-Tech Communications, Inc. v. Los Angeles Cellular Telephone Co. (1999) 20 Cal.4th 163, 180.) Express authority for injunctive relief is provided by the California Cigarette Fire Safety and Firefighter Protection Act. (Health & Saf. Code, § 14955, subd. (f).) Defendants admitted their cigarette sales did not comply with state and federal law. As elaborated in the following analysis, it is reasonably probable that the People will prevail on the merits.
Slip op. at 1, 8.
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