(1) REGISTRATION OF NAME.—A person engaged in the business of supplying or furnishing for hire or compensation on a rental or lease basis clean laundered bed linen or table linen, garments, aprons, or towels who uses her or his name and the word “registered” on such articles or supplies may register such articles or supplies by filing in the office of the clerk of the circuit court of the county where her or his principal place of business is situated, and also with the Department of State, a description of the name so used by her or him, and paying a fee of $25 to each office for each filing, and shall publish such description once in each of 3 successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the description has been filed.

(2) UNAUTHORIZED USE OR DISPOSITION OF REGISTERED LINENS, ETC.—No person shall without the written consent of the owner willfully take, detain, use, sell, traffic in or otherwise dispose of, or use for any purpose other than that for which such article was intended any registered bed linen or table linen, garment, apron, or towel; provided, however, that the use of such article or articles at the place where the same are placed or delivered by the owner or owners under an agreement, lease, or license from such owner shall not be unlawful; and provided, further, that nothing herein contained shall make it unlawful for any caterer, hotel, restaurant, cafe, or other public hostelry to permit and allow the use of such bed linen or table linen, garment, apron, or towel by any guest, boarder, or regularly hired employee thereof during the period of any lease, renting, or hiring agreement of said supplies with the owner thereof.

(3) PENALTY.—Anyone found guilty of violation of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

History.—ss. 1, 2, ch. 67-196; ss. 10, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 1122, ch. 71-136; s. 1398, ch. 97-102.