http://www.consumer.state.ny.us/pressre … 122005.htm

THis should help sort out (not answer EVERYTHING) the ever-reviving subject of how agencies operate in NYS.

A good article in many respects, but because it is written under the sponsorship of the New York State Consumer Protection Board it continues a myth that the CPB and the DCA knows is not true:

"By law, New York City modeling and talent agencies that place jobs must be licensed by the DCA, and must be bonded. To file a complaint, check if a business is licensed, or request a free copy of What You Need to Know About Employment Agencies, available in multiple languages, call 311 (or 212-NEW-YORK outside New York City). Consumers can also visit the DCA online at www.nyc.gov/consumers. The DCA has a web page dedicated to protecting student consumers. To check out DCA's online Consumer Campus, visit www.nyc.gov/consumercampus."

In fact, none of the significant "model agencies" in NYC are licensed by the DCA or bonded.  A few of them have co-located, licensed "talent agencies" (which is itself a violation of the law, but nobody every enforces that) - but for the most part the "agencies" are not agencies at all.  They are "model management companies" which are not subject to licensing requirements or regulation.

The DCA knows that and tacitly approves of it - it's been litigated several times - but the CPB continues not to want to admit to it.

By law, the NYS CPB is the executive agent for the licensing of model and talent agencies for all of New York State except New York City.  In upstate NY, model agencies are in fact licensed and bonded by the CPB.  But in NYC the DCA is the executive authority, and they interpret the law differently.  Somehow when the CPB gets involved in writing things like this they never seem to acknowledge that.

This is good info.  In NY The Better business Bureau is a joke but this listings are not.

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