Dec 18, 20090
Bloggers Beware: FTC Adopts New Guidelines for Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising
By: Ian McClure
In October the FTC published in the Federal Register new guidelines for the use of testimonials and endorsements in advertising. These guidelines were revised, and on December 1 the FTC adopted them. The guidelines have sweeping implications on internet advertising, including blogs, where testimonials have become a cheap and prominent method of advertising. Among the new guidelines that advertisers and endorsers must follow include the following: Endorser testimonials must be honest and based on experience, opinion, or belief. Endorsements may not be presented out ... Read More
Ian McClure is a former corporate & securities and intellectual property law attorney with 
Trevor M. Blum is a former Associate in the Chicago-based, valuation practice group of Ocean Tomo, LLC., an intellectual property (IP) consultancy. Additionally, he provided instrumental research support to Intellectual Property Exchange International, Inc., an IP exchange start-up. Trevor holds a B.S. from Indiana University and is currently an MBA candidate at the University of Cambridge, focusing on international business and finance. His interests also include entrepreneurship, economics, and informational visualization. He enjoys running and cycling in his free time. Trevor seeks to bring a transnational business perspective to the blog. 