How long before a big launch product creator or his customer (that's you!) ends up in jail?
I use online marketing skills and techniques to build authority blogs on subjects that I am genuinely expert in, to build niche sites promoting affiliate offers, but also to drive traffic to online retail for my business and for customer list building etc.
I have NO problem with people making IM-centric information products that HELP people to learn the skills that actually work and that give them ideas and education that will lead them to make a legitimate income using the wonder that online marketing truly is.
However, and I know I'm not alone here, I am sick to death of big ticket product launches touted as push-button solutions that newbies (and people who should know better!) are dragged into and blow huge sums of money on without any hope of getting a result.
If it looks too good to be true, IT IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE.
Building a site, creating a product (or mastering affiliate marketing), driving traffic and testing WILL make you money.
Looking for the instant fix WILL NOT.
BUT the biggest problem that made me post this rant is that not only are some of the latest launches sailing close to the bone with what they promise to deliver (which I believe not only brings the whole IM industry into disrepute but will also land the product creators in very hot water with the FTC), but a few seem downright illegal to me.
Naming no names (....yet), in a couple of recent launches I have seen systems touted that scrape YouTube and Facebook for content, automatically repost it and add affiliate links. Genius, you might think.
Me, however - as a copyright lawyer of 20 years practice - I look at that and think someone is going to jail!
Copyright infringement is obviously something that is part of civil law (i.e. you can be sued for a remedy and damages) but it is also potentially a criminal act - see what the RIAA is doing to serial downloaders in the US!
If you buy a product that automatically scrapes videos from YouTube and reposts them as your own - I can't see how that wouldn't be a criminal offence - at least in the UK and the US.
Plus, if you've shelled out thousands of dollars for these systems and everyone starts doing it - don't you think that YouTube, Facebook et al are going to see and shut it down?
So, you're out of pocket & the system doesn't work - but you might be hearing from the FTC or worse!
So, where does that leave the product creator? - Perhaps they aren't out to be so brazen about it and don't realise that what they are offering is so potentially illegal and incriminating.
Perhaps they don't care?
And I certainly don't necessarily want to see people go to jail...but the whole scenario is exploitative, wrong and a little bit scary.
I couldn't believe how oblivious to the illegality of what they were advocating the pitch for this YouTube product was - as ever it was just all about how easy the money would be!
I guess it boils down to this.
IM is perfectly legitimate - if you do it right. Sell quality stuff (info or products) and don't abuse people's naivety and faith.
Learn some skills and do right by people.
This industry is overdue a serious clean-up and I see the FTC and the sheriff riding over the hill gunning for people.
I for one am going to make damn sure I'm not in the firing line.
How about you?
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