Section 10-1-162. "Person" defined; substitution or misbranding of petroleum products; sale of used or reclaimed lubricants; injunctions; enforcement

   (a) As used in this Code section and in Code Section 10-1-163, the term "person" means natural persons; partnerships, firms, associations, joint-stock companies, syndicates, and corporations; any receiver, trustee, conservator, or other officer appointed by any state or federal court; counties, municipalities, or other political subdivisions of this state, singular or plural; and the State of Georgia. The use of the singular number shall include the plural number.

(b) No person shall store, sell, expose, or offer for sale any liquid fuels, lubricating oils, greases, or other similar products:

   (1) In or from any container, receptacle, tank, pump, or other distributing device other than those products manufactured or distributed by the manufacturer or distributor indicated by the trademark, trade name, name, symbol, sign, or other distinguishing mark or device displayed upon the container, receptacle, tank, pump, or other distributing device in or from which such products are stored, sold, exposed, or offered for sale or distributed; or

   (2) Under any trademark, trade name, name, symbol, sign, or other distinguishing mark or device other than those products manufactured or distributed by the manufacturer or distributor marketing such products under such trademark, trade name, name, symbol, sign, or other distinguishing mark or device; or

   (3) In any manner whatsoever which may deceive or have the effect of deceiving the purchaser of such products as to the nature, price, quality, or quantity of the products so stored, sold, exposed, or offered for sale.

(c) No person shall store, sell, expose, or offer for sale any previously used or previously used and reclaimed, recleaned, or reconditioned lubricating oils, lubricants, or mixtures of lubricants unless such person shall at all times have each and every container or item of equipment in or through which any of such products are sold, kept for sale, displayed, or dispensed plainly labeled "reprocessed or rerefined." No person shall cause to be published, displayed, or circulated any advertising matter offering for sale any previously used or previously used and reclaimed, used, recleaned, or reconditioned lubricating oils, lubricants, or mixtures of lubricants unless he shall state in such advertising the fact that such products have been previously used. Nothing in this Code section shall apply to the sale of unfiltered crankcase drainings, and nothing in this Code section shall apply to the sale of crankcase drainings for use on livestock.

(d) Any person dealing in previously used or previously used and reclaimed, recleaned, or reconditioned lubricating oils, lubricants, or mixtures of lubricants without having each and every container or item of equipment in or through which any of such products are sold, kept for sale, displayed, or dispensed plainly labeled as required in this Code section or advertising any of such products for sale without inserting in such advertising a statement as required in this Code section may upon proper hearing be enjoined from selling any of such products or offering, displaying, or advertising any of the same for sale. Action for such injunction may be brought in any court having jurisdiction to hear and decide equity cases in the county in which the defendant resides and may be brought either by the Attorney General of this state or by the district attorney in and for such county. The authority granted by this Code section shall be in addition to and not in lieu of authority to prosecute criminally any person for a violation of this Code section. The granting or enforcing of any injunction under this Code section is a preventive measure for the protection of the people of this state, not a punitive measure; and the fact that a person has been charged or convicted of a violation of this Code section shall not prevent the issuance of a writ of injunction to prevent further unlawful dealing in previously used or previously used and reclaimed, recleaned, or reconditioned lubricating oils, lubricants, or mixtures of lubricants, nor shall the fact that a writ of injunction has been granted under this Code section preclude the institution of criminal prosecution or punishment.

(e) No person shall disguise or camouflage his equipment by imitating the trademark, trade name, name, symbol, sign, or other distinguishing mark or device under which recognized brands of liquid fuels, lubricating oils, greases, or other similar products are generally marketed.

(f) No person shall mix, blend, or compound the liquid fuels, lubricating oils, greases, or similar products of a manufacturer or distributor with the products of any other manufacturer or distributor or adulterate the same or store, sell, expose, or offer for sale such mixed, blended, or compounded products under the trademark, trade name, name, symbol, sign, or other distinguishing mark or device of either of said manufacturer or distributor or as the adulterated products of such manufacturer or distributor.

(g) No person shall aid or assist any other person in violating any of the provisions of this Code section by depositing or delivering into any container, receptacle, tank, pump, or other distributing device any liquid fuels, lubricating oils, greases, or other similar products other than those intended to be stored therein as indicated by the name of the manufacturer or distributor or the trademark, trade name, name, symbol, sign, or other distinguishing mark or device of the product displayed on the container, receptacle, tank, pump, or other distributing device used in connection therewith or shall by any other means aid or assist another in the violation of any of the provisions of this Code section.

(h) Nothing in this Code section shall prevent the lawful owner thereof from applying his or its own trademark, trade name, name, symbol, sign, or other distinguishing mark or device to any product or material.

(i) The state oil chemist and all law enforcement officers in the State of Georgia are charged with the enforcement of this Code section.

Code 1933, §§ 73-222, 73-223, enacted by Ga. L. 1937, p. 477, § 1; Ga. L. 1952, p. 391, §§ 1-3; Ga. L. 1958, p. 618, § 1; Ga. L. 1959, p. 128, § 1; Ga. L. 1979, p. 981, § 7.