kblessinggr

You know a lawyer or a dozen would try very hard to keep her from having to say anything under oath. :P

__________________
Twitter Facebook Blog
IonVz - Managed VPS (starting at 34.99/month) and Shared (39.99/year) hosting.
Directadmin only $10(non-recurring/one-time). We manage Nginx webservers. Why Nginx?
I can Fix, Slice, Configure or Install your Site/Server

Garrett

I'm thinking its because of the flog. Fake testimonials ain't "legal". Add in the fact that you probably got Oprah endorsing this shit (unknown to her). Great for conversions, not great for staying out of the line of fire.

kblessinggr

The law is pretty specific about what counts as actual endorsement, and where the line of assumption is drawn. Such as having a video of one of her Doc Oz episodes could at best simply be copyright infringement (since using the video for commercial purposes might be a fuzzy line into 'fair use')

__________________
Twitter Facebook Blog
IonVz - Managed VPS (starting at 34.99/month) and Shared (39.99/year) hosting.
Directadmin only $10(non-recurring/one-time). We manage Nginx webservers. Why Nginx?
I can Fix, Slice, Configure or Install your Site/Server

sumitdhawan09

Hello friend,

To avoid liability of self perhaps?

Maybe goverment of America think it affiliate network who make fake blog page of landing at first.

Affiliate network tell government no is them and give them list affiliate who make fake blog page of landing for promote offer.

Good luck bro

lolwut

subigo stop being a pussy. That was some really bad advertising for your "services"

__________________
I CAN SEE THE BEACH FROM HURR.

wut.

jryan21

From an affiliate's point of view, I'd probably be more concerned about income tax issues than I would be about false advertising. That's what they often end up getting you for when their original cases fall apart.

johnysc430

Yes, I'm sure it was a network or networks that give this information up.

__________________

070707

Well I atleast hope the local networks here will say if they had any involvement.

For some reason, I guarantee Hydra did.

bb_wolfe

Or someone who runs a network or works for a network or has had recent access physically to a network.

That being said, the Bears fucking suck and anyone in IL who push acai and cheers on the Bears deserves a fucking legal mess!

GREEN BAY IN 10 BABY

__________________

bb_wolfe

AG: Don't be bad

Internet Marketers: You're going to call off your rigorous investigation. You're going to publicly state that there is no underground group. Or... these guys are going to take your balls. They're going to send one to the New York Times, one to the LA Times press-release-style. Look, the people you are after are the people you depend on. We cook your meals, we haul your trash, we connect your calls, we drive your ambulances. We guard you while you sleep. Do not fuck with us.

__________________

papajohn56

Whoa whoa fuck you leave da Bears out of this! You guys had your soap opera with geriatric Favre, and we've got Cutler.

On topic, it appears this is majorly due to Oprah/Dr. Oz in ads, so watch out using anything specifically related to that.

__________________

bb_wolfe

I'm going to kill you one day, I will eat your liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.... (j/k)


Favre crippled and with progeria is a better QB than that nancy Cutler..

(sorry to hijack thread, no more football things, fucking BAC is approaching whole numbers at this point)

__________________

SilentPen

HAHAHAHAHAhahhahahaAHHHAHA

Keep Cutler, and good fu**in riddance!

~Broncos Fan

__________________

tangy

Sweet, you get to see an overweight dude cry.

__________________
I'm the best content writer on WickedFire. If you need something written, send me a PM.

bb_wolfe

What does an ice jockey country know about football? The Toronto Maple Syrups are not on par with the Green Bay Packers, or the IL Atty General for that matter.

;>

__________________

subigo

oh fuck off.

How's that for some advertising?

__________________
ZenSix Hosting - Shared hosting plans for $4.99/year.

Midas Touch

As others have said it could be to cover their 6's from legal pressures. The public outcry over how hard it was for customers to cancel re-bills is what seems to have gotten legal attention in the first place.

OR

Never underestimate the WRATH of a scorned woman. If a network owner or even a MAJOR affiliate with close inside network ties is going through a messy divorce, incriminating "EVIDENCE" could have conveniently shown up on someone's desk just for the revenge factor. All because the money settlement in the breakup is/was not what she wanted.


Then again, maybe someone has already come up with the NEXT big thing and is just wiping out some competition before they spring it. I would not be too surprised to learn that this could be the case as well. I mean, they rat out the big players, then have them spending most of their time and money tied up in legal issues while they start scooping up what's left of their networks and affiliates. Then when they launch, the players with the money and means to copy them will be too busy with legal issues to jump in right away. This way they will have the time needed to get the Lion's share. It's been done before throughout history with governments, organized crime, and business so why should we be immune to this kind tactic.

I would like to think that we as marketers are pretty close knit, but there seems to always be some bad apples.


Sincerely,

MT

__________________
VVVVVVVVVVVVVV


"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss

hannahmcintyre

You don't know anything about hockey if you think the Toronto Maple Leafs are on par with anything other than an under-12 team!

BlueYonder

This would make us a bunch of lice.

__________________
Better copy = More sales
I write sales copy that moves the numbers.
Review thread here

Try Article Marketing Robot FREE

GrindHard

You're right, it could be political ties in place to ruin another network and gain more business for the next. Scary shit, this is what happens when you are too greedy.

Midas Touch

+rep

My bad!!

__________________
VVVVVVVVVVVVVV


"Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss

lolwut

Really? cause saying that you host "acai pages" on your servers helps your clients how? Well I mean, other than putting a nice target on every one of your current customers that is.

Good Luck Bros.

__________________
I CAN SEE THE BEACH FROM HURR.

wut.

CPAPIMP

I'm guessing Acai is just going to be the tip of the iceberg, just because it's so "loud" compared to other campaigns.

But as a couple said, someone probably blew the horn to save their own back and probably no legal consequences. You had to figure the rebill crackdown was going to come sooner or later though.

__________________

johu

Most affiliates (actually, all affiliates using flogs) didn't just publish what the advertiser said was true. Flogs contained fake testimonials, and fake results. Advertisers didn't on their pages (though some had one liner testimonials). Some of the advertiser LPs didn't even mention weight loss - A few only mentioned getting a "flatter stomach", basically by saying it could help cut down on bloating. As for the investigation, we have no clue right now what the cause is, whether it's false advertising, false medical claims, use of Harpo Productions' personalities (Oprah, Dr. Oz, Rachel Ray), or what. Maybe the speculation should stop until more details come forward.

memaily

Can I just hide up here in Canada?

Wicked Ice

__________________
"I work 80 hours a week just so I do not have to work 40 for someone else." --Erik Kimel

Fat Tom

wow this blows donkey balls.

__________________

NickRac

As someone who has grown up in and around the restaurant/nightclub business I can say there is nothing closer to the truth than this...

__________________

pocketrockets

I would guess this specific Illinois investigation is mainly based on the unauthorized uses of Oprah's name associated to the products. Her company Harpo, is Chicago based and they stated a few weeks ago they would be turning over complaints about such items to the Illinois Attorney General’s office.

__________________

Rusky

What did you expect with false advertising. I'm sure there just reviewing ads and checking disclosures.

__________________
Nobody gives you a chance, you gotta take chances.

kidChaos

heh. everyone acts so shocked on this!

Seriously, if any ad agency was using deceptive advertising practices they'd be right under the gun with a lot more pressure.

The only thing I see happening is the lines between affiliate and agency blurring. If you're advertising products there are certain guidelines you need to follow.

Also, I doubt the IL AG is strictly pursuing affiliates in IL. They can subpoena people who advertise to residents of the state just as easily as affiliates within the state.

This isn't the first rodeo of this nature, albeit probably the widest range.

And the subpoenas dont necessarily mean criminal charges against affiliates, they could be collecting information just to gain evidence against the companies running the offers.

I'm really surprised by the lack of understanding regarding the legal system when it comes to this stuff.

Death to Acai? Hardly.

Death to rebills? Hardly.

You're still going to see these offers everywhere, however the more deceptive of the bunch are going to get fucked without lube repeatedly.

Just switch over to A4D and go about your business...

__________________

Unarmed Gunman

Sounds like cheaper clicks to me.

__________________

kingofsp

Remind me to renew my zensix account. For like 20 years.

__________________
W4 - Like Hуdra, but like way better.

Jon

There are a bunch of updates and stuff that I'll just post tomorrow because some of the theories here are pretty great.

__________________

neab1as

awwwh shit each platter of all my hard drives just got fucked - at the same time .. freak accident.

Webwonder

If it was a network that ratted out their affiliates, that goes to show that there is some value in spreading your traffic throughout more than one network.

I guess if you spread your leads across multiple networks then you would have a better chance of not getting snitched on...

flysarescary

How could you be held liable for a story you didn't create? If you saw a story online, indexed it and replaced it with your links... the story hasn't changed.

hannahmcintyre

Thanks for this, I don't really have any theories because my US law knowledge all comes from Law and Order, but it'll be interesting to see how this turns out.

cheshire

Ouch town, population you brah

DewChugr

Up yours.

__________________
if (preg_match("/SEO /i",$_POST['subject']) || preg_match("/search engine/i",$_POST['subject'])
header("Location: http://www.googlehammer.com");

Hey Newbie, watch the Wickedfire newbie video

xmcp123

Affiliate Commune!
Manta Caye, Belize, Central America

__________________

Bofu2U

I'm in!

__________________

bb_wolfe

You're OUT!

__________________

machinecontrol

In other words, don't fuck with Oprah. The writing was on the wall that Oprah would bitchslap someone over acai eventually.

__________________
I'm giving away insanely profitable campaigns for $1

evo190

In NJ they call it "pay to play" - someone has seen the bankroll and wants a piece.

nvanprooyen

Eat shit. You'll be finishing at #3, right ahead of the Lions and a few games back from the Vikings. The fun begins with a season opening ass whipping on prime time Sunday night.

stan100

The dull pain of truth bites Stan100.

MaxSteve

I have no clue if a network ratted out any affiliates, but you do realize that it's relatively easy for the government to find all this info without involving anyone from any network.

__________________
Let me slip my MAX into your BOUNTY.
Steven Sauve
steve at maxbounty.com / AIM = maxbountysteve
http://www.maxbounty.com
Want a 80" Sharp Aquos LED TV? http://www.maxbounty.com/vindalecontest.cfm

nvanprooyen

Let the QB battle begin between Kyle Orton and Chris Simms. LMAO. I actually feel kind of sorry for you, but not really. McDaniels is destroying your team and you are all too blind to see it. Good luck with that. You will be lucky to win 5-6 games this year.

The Lunchbox

Good luck beating a suit in Illinois. All the laws that touch on things like cyberspace don't originate in Springfield (the capital). They all originate in Chicago, and in case many of you don't know Chicago history, they are notorious for getting what they want, no matter how much opposition there is.

__________________
Those who do not mind their own business do not have enough business to mind.