December 1, 2009 marks the date when new FTC guidelines are in effect. This has been hotly debated and talked about all over the Internet. We highly encourage you to learn and understand as much as it as possible. In our effort to comply with these new guidelines, we have updated our affiliate terms. Please read them again and make sure you comply with them.

We know guidelines and legal stuff are always a pain to read and go through so here are some highlights that we really want to impress upon you.

It Applies To Non US Based Affiliates Too

Because we are a US Based entity, the FTC has jurisdiction over our activity. While the FTC may not have jurisdiction over your activities, every time you use your affiliate link to our products and services, you are our representative and we are responsible for the manner you represent us. We intend to be a good corporate citizen so we ask you help us do that. In any case, because our terms have changed to comply with these guidelines, our terms are a binding agreement between you and us regardless where you are located.

Disclosure

If you post your affiliate links on your site or blog or even newsletter, do make a disclosure policy to notify people that you could potentially receive a commission from your links. We also recommend a method either through link color or a quick “Disclosure: This post contains affiliate link” or (aff) next to the link when displaying the link.

Watch Your Reviews And Statements

While the guidelines do not say you can’t use testimonials, it has specific recommendations. So when writing a review or recommendation, keep your claims reasonable. Please note, we also update our terms to not allow performance claims anymore. But you can still say how much you like our product or other ways it has helped you. Once you reach into quantifiable results, that could get us in trouble.

These highlights should not be taken as the whole sum of compliance, so we urge you to do your own learning and research. The following are some resources we have found that have been helpful to us as affiliates of other peoples’ products. Hopefully, it will help you too.

Jim Edwards Interviews The FTC – good one. A must listen/watch, especially if you run your own affiliate program too.

Video FAQs from FTC by Mary Engle, Associate Director – Bureau of Consumer Protection

What’s new about the Endorsement Guides?

Why did the FTC update the Endorsement Guides?

What do the Endorsement Guides mean for bloggers?

How do bloggers follow the Endorsement Guides?

Is the FTC planning to sue bloggers?

Where to go for more information