Bloggers That Endorse Products Must Now Comply With New Rules
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On October 5th, 2009 the FTC published and released to the public its final revisions on guides governing endorsements and testimonials.
So what does this mean for Bloggers that promote product?
So, If are promoting a product by endorsing it you will have to state that you get paid by the product owner if purchase is from your affiliate link. Its pretty simple, the readers that come to your site will now be informed by you that you will be compensated if they buy from your link. In other words, you may want to attach a little note saying, “This is my affiliate link, if you buy this product after clicking on this link I will be compensated” You get the idea. I have read tons of posts on this and almost all of them suggest getting legal advice. I am not giving any legal advice here as I am certainly not a lawyer. “That’s right, this is a little disclaimer.”
This new ruling goes into effect on Dec. 1st, 2009. It is not a horrible situation for the blogging community that keeps it real. What may be bad for you is if you do not follow the new guidelines.
David Goldman, staff writer for CNN Money notes in his article released on October 6th, that the existing rules carry a fine as high as $11,000 if product endorsers and reviewers don’t comply.
Frank Kern put together on of the best articles out there on this one. Google him if you don’t already know him. This awesome post Frank wrote is chock full of things he found out from a friend of his that is a lawyer.
So, do yourself a favor and go to the Federal Trade Commission site and read the entire article.
Personally, I think it is great for bloggers that are truthful and want to give great content to help consumers make informed decision on a purchase. I also believe that this will help in the fight against the guys that are not being honest and will assist in getting consumer trust back.
Take Care!