Internet Law » Internet Business Law http://www.internetlawnewsonline.com Protect Your Online Business Fri, 25 Feb 2011 23:46:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 New FTC Rules (Guides) – Are They For Real? http://www.internetlawnewsonline.com/new-ftc-rules-guides-are-they-for-real/ http://www.internetlawnewsonline.com/new-ftc-rules-guides-are-they-for-real/#comments Sat, 03 Apr 2010 06:01:02 +0000 admin http://www.internetlawnewsonline.com/?p=128 When are the new FTC Rules (Guides) in effect? What are they? Who do they affect? Learn about the new FTC Rules!

The FTC (U.S. Federal Trade Commission) has enacted new guides or rules that govern and affect endorsements by organizations, celebrities, consumers, experts, material connections (affiliate compensation), testimonials, and bloggers.

Advertisements showing a consumer sharing their experiences for a service or product, must disclose the outcome that can generally be expected. The term “results not typical” will no longer be acceptable.

“Material connections” or affiliate compensation usually in the form of payments or free products must be disclosed. This is sometimes called the affiliate compensation disclosure. This is true if you are a blogger or internet marketer.

Celebrity endorsers, under the new guides, must disclose their connection with advertisers (material connection – affiliate compensation) and not give unconfirmed or false statements about the product or service. Advertisers and endorsers may both be liable.

The effective date for these new guides was December 01, 2009.

How can you protect yourself, your blog and website? You can hire an attorney to draft the appropriate documents or use a software program to provide the correct documents. Either way, you should have certain documents on your website or blog. They include Terms and Conditions of Use, Privacy Policy, Anti-Spam Policy, External Links Policy, Earnings Disclaimer, Affiliate Agreement, Affiliate Compensation Disclosure (material connection) and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) Notice.

Remember, the FTC guides are to protect consumers. Be in compliance so you and others can enjoy your blog and website.

If you wish to view the entire regulations, please view the FTC and Electronic Code of Federal Regulations website links below.

    Effective Date: December 01, 2009

http://www.ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005endorsementguidesfnnotice.pdf

    FTC Publishes Final Guides Governing Endorsements, Testimonials
    Changes Affect Testimonial Advertisements, Bloggers, Celebrity Endorsements

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm

    Electronic Code of Federal Regulations
    Title 16: Commercial Practices
    PART 255—GUIDES CONCERNING USE OF ENDORSEMENTS AND TESTIMONIALS IN ADVERTISING

… 255.5 “Disclosure of material connections. … When there exists a connection between
the endorser and the seller of the advertised product that might materially …”

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=14055e58afb9046553e3ed2f75dc0e2e&rgn=div5&view=text&node=16:1.0.1.2.22&idno=16

Website Legal Forms Generator version 2.0 by Internet lawyer Mike Young is for bloggers and website owners who want to protect their sites.


Website Legal Forms Generator Standard


Note: This is not legal advice. To address legal issues consult your internet lawyer.

]]> http://www.internetlawnewsonline.com/new-ftc-rules-guides-are-they-for-real/feed/ 0 Affiliate Compensation Disclosure – Get It Now http://www.internetlawnewsonline.com/affiliate-compensation-disclosure-get-it-now/ http://www.internetlawnewsonline.com/affiliate-compensation-disclosure-get-it-now/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:43:20 +0000 admin http://www.internetlawnewsonline.com/?p=119 Affiliate Compensation Disclosure (sometimes called “material connection”) is here now. Bloggers and Internet Marketers need to have this important and necessary disclosure on their websites, according to U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulations that went into effect December 1, 2009. If you have affiliate links on your blogs or website, you must have this disclosure. Many marketers are ignoring this mandate by the government. Bloggers and Internet Marketers need to be pro-active and post the Affiliate Compensation Disclosure on their websites. Copying this important document from another website is illegal and an infringement of copyright laws. You must have your own disclosure form to make it legal. What are ecommerce site owners supposed to do?

One option is to hire an internet lawyer who can help you write the the appropriate Affiliate Compensation Disclosure. Another option would be to use software that can focus on the needed documents.

One software was developed by a well know internet attorney, Mike Young. His creation is named Website Legal Forms Generator. Not only is the Affiliate Compensation Disclosure included, but several other necessary legal forms. The other forms that are included are the Terms and Conditions of Use, Privacy Policy, Anti-Spam Policy, External Links Policy, Earnings Disclaimer, Affiliate Agreement, and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) Notice. The new Website Legal Forms Generator version 2.0 also includes a “100% IRON CLAD 30-DAY MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE.”

It is no longer buyer beware, it is now seller beware! Protect your website and yourself!

Website Legal Forms Generator version 2.0 by Internet lawyer Mike Young is for bloggers and website owners who want to protect their sites.


Website Legal Forms Generator Standard


Note: This is not legal advice. To address legal issues consult your internet lawyer.

]]> http://www.internetlawnewsonline.com/affiliate-compensation-disclosure-get-it-now/feed/ 0 Internet Business Law – Protect Your Online Business http://www.internetlawnewsonline.com/internet-business-law-how-to-protect-your-online-business/ http://www.internetlawnewsonline.com/internet-business-law-how-to-protect-your-online-business/#comments Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:52:31 +0000 admin http://www.internetlawnewsonline.com/?p=3 Internet Business Laws are set up to protect consumers, but also can help you protect your online business assets if the correct ecommerce laws and regulations are followed.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulates e-commerce activities. These regulations include consumer privacy, business e-mails, and online advertising.

One way to protect your online business is to have the appropriate legal form links attached to the bottom of your website that includes, but not limited to, DMCA notice (Digital Millennium Copyright Act), Anti Spam Policy, External Links Policy, Privacy Policy, Terms and Conditions of  Use, and an Earning Disclaimer.

You could hire an internet lawyer to complete these forms for you or you could use internet software to complete the task. I am using internet software to complete these legal forms located at the bottom of my website. I was so impressed, I became an affiliate for the company. Click here to learn more about Website Legal Forms Generator software.


Website Legal Forms Generator Standard


Note: This is not legal advice. To address legal issues consult your internet lawyer.

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