Legal primer guides packaging professionals

How can you access the Food and Drug Administration on the Internet? What's the difference between Rule 41 and Item 222? The answers are published in Guide To Packaging Law, A Primer For Packaging Professionals, written by attorney Eric F. Greenberg and available from the Institute of Packaging Professionals (Herndon, VA). "It is long past time that a unified body of information called 'packaging law' be identified," says Greenberg, a partner in the Chicago law firm Bullwinkel Partners, Ltd. "The Guide is the first step in that endeavor." The first dozen pages of the guide provide an overview and analysis of packaging law, and how to track changes in the law and regulations. An alphabetized subject guide to packaging terms comes next, followed by easy-to-understand discussions of key legal terminology. There's also a list of laws and regulations most relevant to the subjects in the guide. The soft-cover book includes an alphabetical list of government bodies, with a concise explanation of what each does in the area of packaging law. Finally, there's a list of packaging-related membership organizations and trade associations. As to the answers to the questions above, Rule 41 refers to a National Railroad Freight Commission rule; Item 222 to a rule of the National Motor Freight Traffic Assn. Both sets of rules govern classification standards for corrugated boxes. And if you're surfing the Internet for the FDA, try http://www.fda.gov. Regarding the first question, Greenberg says: "Don't be shy about asking your attorney in advance what something will cost, or to provide an estimate. If you are not getting the service you think you deserve or don't understand something about your bill, speak up or change lawyers."