Comments on: FTC Says Bloggers can be Fined for Endorsements

By: Elvenrunelord

Elvenrunelord — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 20:33:04 +0000

Another quick note. Virtually all legit corporations who send products to bloggers ask them to give honest reviews on the products sent and do not require a positive review in return for the product press release so to speak.

I have never been asked to give a positive review of something, paid or otherwise. I have been asked to review products and services however.

Those infomercial guys are who they need to go after. That guy in the question mark suit selling grant books is a total fraud!

Those con men telling you that you can buy a house for no money down and make millions in real estate with nothing but some string and a pencil are frauds as well.

The FTC allows this BS to continue and thinks they can control the free speech of bloggers? Not hardly!
.-= Elvenrunelord´s last blog ..I’m Sorry but This Blog Will be Idle Until I Find a New Host =-.

By: NetBet

NetBet — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 06:50:21 +0000

This information is really useful and it seems to me bloggers must keep it in mind when post any add. I agree that it will be the game ‘hide and seek’, and those who have masked badly may be punished. Anyway there are much more blogs than police so most blogger can sleep the sleep of the just.

By: Bill F

Bill F — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 16:46:29 +0000

While I applaud the idea of getting rid of ridiculous flogs (lies) and unethical marketing, usually attempts by the government to handle situations such as this fall short. It is tantamount to gun control where only the law abiding comply and criminals find guns anyway.

So it is easy to predict that in the future we will find more networks and affiliates moving out of the US so they can keep up the unethical (but profitable) behavior. The “Federal” trade commission has no teeth overseas.

Just another hurdle to jump but we’ll get over this one too.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 16:39:46 +0000

I agree this will weed a lot of marketers out. Namely the unethical ones which is a good thing.

What I don’t understand, though, is exactly how to disclose the relationship between myself and the vendor.

The guidelines say that the disclosure can be placed at the discretion of the blogger so I’m a little unsure as to where I should be placing it and also if I should use a larger font or highlight it or something like that.

Have you thought about how you’re going to display it?

By: Ryan

Ryan — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:44:48 +0000

But see this is the point, a fruitless regulation that in the end will do nothing to “secure” buyers or potential buyer’s of the discussed product.

As was pointed out in this post, there is no way to police this. Just think about this before taking this the wrong way, when we just accept the FTC delving into the CONTENT of the internet and our blogs, we give them a foot in the door. Before you know it they’ll want to tax your digital products you sell or market because it is being regulated and sold within the US borders, etc.

It might sound paranoid but look around, I don’t think there is any excuse NOT to be anymore.

By: Affiliate Marketing Blog

Affiliate Marketing Blog — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:03:15 +0000

Well, I think it’s just a game of hide and go seek. I have no problem with disclosure if that’s what they want to see, but like you said, how do they know my review still isn’t totally made up?

I wonder how this will effect twitter, since tweets are sent out all day long about movies, dvds and music, that obvously people like, but aren’t endorsing persay. We’ll see.
.-= Affiliate Marketing Blog´s last blog ..5 Things NOT to Do if You Want to Make Money Online =-.

By: conveyancing

conveyancing — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 08:44:03 +0000

Thanks for apprising about this law, it seems very crucial.

By: Print Brochures

Print Brochures — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:09:08 +0000

This is truly interesting. But I think that this law will be for the good of everyone also. Thank you for sharing the news.