EzineArticles.com & The FTC Rulings: How It Will Affect Article Marketers

[tvanslooten]

As many of you know, the new FTC rulings take affect on Dec. 1st. As an article marketer, this made me wonder how these rulings will change the game when submitting articles to EzineArticles.

According to the FTC rules, I will have to disclose my relationship to the product vendor I am representing as an affiliate. If I submit a product review to EzineArticles or if I make ANY reference to the products or services I'm promoting in an article as an affiliate, technically I should have to disclose the relationship, right?

I sent an email to Chris Knight about this and he replied to me that they are talking to their legal counsel about the issue. He further stated that when/if they determine action will be needed, the EzineArticles Blog will be their first comment about it.

I'll be keeping a close eye on their blog - and so should you if you are an article marketer. If I was a gambling man, I'd bet the farm there will be significant changes on the way. I can see one of two scenarios: (1) forced OBVIOUS disclaimers on every article submitted by affiliate marketers by EzineArticles themselves, or (2), you will have to make the disclosure yourself within your articles - probably in the author's resource box.

Any disclosures added could have an impact on click-throughs.

Travis

[Sylonious]

The FTC works based on the number of complaints they get against a company. I can guarantee you that Ezinearticles.com will not get a single complaint and definitely not enough complaints to get on the FTC's radar.

If anything the owner of the product you are reviewing would have a problem.

Worst case scenario for the article writer is that they stop allowing any mention of brandname products. That's what articlemarketer.com does.

[tvanslooten]

I don't think it matters if Ezines is on the FTC's radar or not. If you go with that logic, then most Internet Marketers would have nothing to fear with these rulings and wouldn't have to make any changes because they likely won't get "enough complaints to get on the FTC's radar."

This is an issue of legal liability and protecting yourself against any POTENTIAL legal issues. Ezines is more at risk than most Internet Marketer's sites. And if we all have to make changes to protect ourselves, then I would imagine Ezines would have to as well.

Who knows...I guess only time will tell. I would be very surprised if Ezines doesn't make any changes though.

Travis

Originally Posted by Sylonious

The FTC works based on the number of complaints they get against a company. I can guarantee you that Ezinearticles.com will not get a single complaint and definitely not enough complaints to get on the FTC's radar.

If anything the owner of the product you are reviewing would have a problem.

Worst case scenario for the article writer is that they stop allowing any mention of brandname products. That's what articlemarketer.com does.

[bgmacaw]

Originally Posted by tvanslooten

This is an issue of legal liability and protecting yourself against any POTENTIAL legal issues.

The simple act of mentioning a product in passing on the Internet is a federal felony under the new and even some existing rules. The FTC can pick and chose who to persecute on a whim. They're likely to pick low lying fruit so don't be a low lying fruit.

[TheBrainchildGroup]

Excellent post.

I did an in-depth article on this topic and I believe, given the FTC's resources and the wording in their guidelines, celebrities and corporations will be targeted in particular. The small guys should have nothing to worry about in my opinion.

-AS

[Tina Golden]

With EZAs recent stance of not allowing articles to mention products by name, isn't this rather a non-issue?

Tina

[Black Hat Cat]

Speaking of these new rules....does a car company have to disclose in their commercials and ads that they make money if you buy a car? How about Dominos? How about Microsoft and Apple? Does NBC have to disclose to it's viewers that they have been paid to run the advertisements they run, and do they have to remind people that those advertisers will make money if you buy from them?

Originally Posted by bgmacaw

The simple act of mentioning a product in passing on the Internet is a federal felony under the new and even some existing rules.

Yeah, I'm thinking no, not quite. It is not a felony to say "I like Budweiser beer", or "I just bought a new iPod" on the internet.

[bgmacaw]

Originally Posted by Black Hat Cat

Yeah, I'm thinking no, not quite. It is not a felony to say "I like Budweiser beer", or "I just bought a new iPod" on the internet.

You would think, but our rich tapestry of laws and regulations has gotten to the point where prosecutors identify defendants worth going after instead of finding out that a law that was broken and figuring out who did it. Thus most US citizens can be prosecuted for about 3 felonies a day if government persecutors took a notion to do so.

For example, your 'Bud' comment could be in violation of underage drinking statues and your 'iPod' comment might be encouraging copyright violations. I would mention where you can find novelty cat handcuffs but that would probably violate the law too.