Author Archives: Richard
The FTC’s Top 10 List of Internet Fraud and Scams
Using actual consumer complaints, the FTC has created a consumer fraud database and law enforcement officials have identified the top 10 “DOT CONS” on the Internet. The following is a continued compilation of what the FTC has identified as the top 10 Internet scams. Should you encounter any Internet fraud, complaints may be filed on-line with the FTC. Continue reading
Posted in Email, Internet and Direct Marketing, Federal Trade Commission and the Internet
Tagged bait and switch, business opportunities, chargebacks, consumer complaints, consumer fraud, credit card fraud, disclosures, dot cons, federal trade commission, fraud, ftc, ftc rules and regulations, internet auctions, internet fraud, internet marketing, investments, multilevel marketing plans, pyramids, scams and shams, web cramming
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Credit Cards and the FTC Take Stance Against “Negative Option” and “Forced Continuity”
Membership sites are a phenomenal business strategy for boosting revenues exponentially on a recurring basis. However, in attracting those initial customers to “sign on” one must be very, very careful not to cross the legal lines of “negative option” and “forced continuity.” Make sure that your Membership Site is FTC and credit card company compliant – not only to make sure you get paid, but to keep you from getting into hot legal waters. Continue reading
Posted in Email, Internet and Direct Marketing
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Nestle, GreenPeace, Social Media, Palm Oil and Orangutans
Rather than deal with the controversy on its Facebook Fan page, Nestlé ignores it, instead choosing to issue a statement on its corporate website. In essence, Nestlé abandons its Facebook Fan page, surrendering it to the community now against it. The very beauty of 2.0 and Social Media is that it belongs – perhaps not legally, but certainly in practical manner – to the community. But, in this case, Nestlé established the community and the citizenry has gathered at the castle to petition the king. Would it not make sense for the king to address the subjects’ greivances? The king has fled and the community has seized the Nestlé Fan page and made it the community voice against Nestlé. Continue reading
Posted in In the News, Social Media and Web 2.0
Tagged censorship, community, copyright, crises management, dmca, facebook, facebook fan page, facebook policy, greenpeace, kit kat, nestle, palm oil, power of community, PR, public relations, sinar mas, social media, social media crisis, take down request, video, web 2.0, youtube, youtube policy
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Lindsay Lohan Sues E*Trade for Superbowl Commercial
March 8, 2010 – Troubled actress Lindsay Lohan filed suit agains E*Trade for its alleged use of her name, likeness and identity without her consent in one of its “talking baby” commercials that aired during the February 7, 2010 Superbowl game, as well as during the 2010 Winter Olympic games in Vancouver, British Columbia. Ms. Lohan is seeking $100 million in damages and equitable remedies, including injunctive relief. Continue reading
Posted in Advertising, General Banter, In the News
Tagged damages, defamation, e-trade, etrade, injunctive relief, lindsay lohan, litigation, rights of likeness and identity, rights of publicity, superbowl commercial, television commercial
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IP Watchdog Responds to Suit by InventHelp
IPWatchdog, one of the longest running Intellectual Property based blogs, and its founder, patent attorney guru Gene Quinn, responded to, in this writer’s opinion a totally frivolous lawsuit, filed by the infamous InventHelp seeking to “silence” Mr. Quinn and his site from airing the public – and notoriously well-known – grievances by enthusiastic inventors and product creators who have allegedly been defrauded by InventHelp. Continue reading
Posted in In the News, Patent, Social Media and Web 2.0
Tagged blog, Davison, defamation, First Amendment, freedom of speech, InventHelp, invention submission companies, inventions, IPWatchdog, lawsuit, litigation, patents, social media
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Apple Sues Google Phone Maker HTC
In two law suits filed last week with the Office of the United States International Trade Commission and in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware, Apple sued HTC, the Taiwanese company that is the largest maker of smart phones running Google’s Android operating system, including the Nexus One, designed and sold by Google. Apple claims that HTC phones running Android violated 20 of its patents, including the iPhone’s ability to recognize the touch of multiple fingers on its screen at once. Continue reading
Posted in In the News, Patent
Tagged Android, apple, google, HTC, iPhone, patent infringement, patent litigation, section 102 (novelty), section 103 (obviousness), smart phone technology, Steve Jobs
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Teen Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Facebook Blackmail
A Wisconsin teenager was convicted of using Facebook to blackmail fellow classmates and sentenced to 15 years in prison for his actions. The teen had been accused of creating a Facebook profile belonging to a non-existent teenage girl and then using it to convince more than 30 of his fellow male classmates to send him nude photos or videos of themselves. The teen then reportedly threatened to post the photos or videos on the Internet if those male students did not engage in some sort of sexual activity with him. At least seven of the students have claimsed that they were coereced into sex acts, which the defendant allegedly documented with a cell phone camera. Continue reading
Posted in Social Media and Web 2.0
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Welcome Underground Licensing Profits Masterclass Participants
____________________________________________________________ Welcome Underground Licensing Profits Masterclass Participants What better way to initiate a new site than by having the honor, privilege and opportunity to work for Yanik Silver by speaking in the final teleseminar of his Underground Licensing Profits Masterclass. Wow! And, it … Continue reading
Posted in General Banter
Tagged internet marketing, licensing info products, licensing profits, yanik silver
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