1854 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 757

259. (Definitions.) When used in this Act: (a) "Person"
shall mean any individual, corporation, association, partner-
ship, reciprocal exchange, inter-insurer, Lloyds insurer, fra-
ternal benefit society, and any other legal entity engaged in
the business of insurance, including agents, brokers and
adjusters.

(b) "Commissioner" shall mean the Commissioner of In-
surance of the State of Maryland.

260. (Unfair Methods of Competition or Unfair and De-
ceptive Acts or Practices Prohibited.) No person shall en-
gage in this State in any trade practice which is defined in
this Act as or determined pursuant to this Act to be an
unfair method of competition or an unfair or deceptive act
or practice in the business of insurance.

261. (Unfair Methods of Competition and Unfair or De-
ceptive Acts or Practices Defined.) The following are here-
by defined as unfair methods of competition and unfair and
deceptive acts or practices in the business of insurance:

(a) Misrepresentations and False Advertising of Policy
Contracts. Making, issuing, circulating, or causing to be
made, issued or circulated, any estimate, illustration, circular
or statement misrepresenting the terms of any policy issued
or to be issued or the benefits or advantages promised thereby
or the dividends or share of the surplus to be received there-
on, or making any false or misleading statement as to the
dividends or share of surplus previously paid on similar
policies, or making any misleading representation or any
misrepresentation as to the financial condition of any insurer,
or as to the legal reserve system upon which any life insurer
operates, or using any name or title of any policy or class
of policies misrepresenting the true nature thereof, or mak-
ing any misrepresentation to any policyholder insured in
any company for the purpose of inducing or tending to in-
duce such policyholder to lapse, forfeit, or surrender his
insurance or making any misrepresentation to any policy-
holder, insured in any company, or any person not a policy-
holder for the purpose of inducing or tending to induce such
policyholder or non-policyholder to settle, compromise or ad-
just any claim.

(b) (False Information and Advertising Generally.) Mak-
ing, publishing, disseminating, circulating, or placing before
the public, or causing, directly or indirectly, to be made, pub-
lished, disseminated, circulated, or placed before the public,
in a newspaper, magazine or other publication, or in the