'No, it was a public building, meant to protect merchants and their customers from the elements.'

And American Express has an address verification program to protect merchants from fraud.

"Our only goal is to protect local merchants so they can use the name as well," he said.

Their first official act was to protect local merchants by increasing the license fee for peddlers and traveling salespeople.

They attributed the sudden crackdown to the government's desire to protect local merchants in the face of the worsening economy.

A series of institutions had therefore long since appeared to protect merchants.

Home Depot's plan to open in Queens has prompted residents to go to court to protect local merchants.

State contract laws, meanwhile, typically protect merchants who make a genuine error in pricing.

Its main goal is to protect small merchants, for whom opening on Sundays is a bother and a burden, from big competitors.

They were a way for Congress to protect merchants -so they would know they wouldn't be undercut.