New FTC Guides Effective Soon

New FTC Guides Effective Soon

When will the new FTC Guidelines become effective? Who will be affected by the new FTC Guidelines? What are the new FTC Guidelines? How can I make sure I am in compliance? These are important questions that must be answered.

 
- When will the new FTC Guidelines become effective?

New U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Guides have been approved and will go into effect on December 1, 2009.

- Are you affected by the new FTC Guidelines?

If you own an ecommerce business in the U.S. and have affiliate links, one major change will affect you greatly.

- New FTC Guidelines

The new FTC Guides state that "material connections" (affiliate connections) must be disclosed. If you are a blogger who endorses a product or own a website and you will receive compensation from that product if it is purchased from your website, you must disclose the fact that you are an affiliate of that product. If you ignore this Guide, you can be liable for fines or worse. Most people entered into ecommerce to help supplement their income or make a living online. This new guide from the FTC will not go away. It will be going in place to protect the consumer not the seller.

- Be in compliance

You must have an Affiliate Compensation Disclosure statement and several other legal forms on your website. The Affiliate Compensation Disclosure is a legal form that shows you have affiliate connections and that you may be compensated for endorsing this product. The other forms you need include 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. It is protection for you and your site.

To learn more about the FTC rulings or the software, visit http://www.internetlawnewsonline.com/

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

Article Source: Link

Dan Counts, a retired teacher, writes about business information. To learn more about the FTC rulings, view other articles or to receive more information about legal forms software, visit http://www.internetlawnewsonline.com/