In some ways I feel like a therapist. I get emails with details on how a blogger or small brand is being taunted and tormented by others online. I completely feel for them because I have my own trolls and 'mean girls'. I always thought that grown ups would be different. I figured that [...]
Frequently I am contacted by someone whose online work is being used without their permission. Whether it is an idea, a design concept, something from Twitter, a hot deal, a complete post, photos, graphics, it seems like there is a lot of taking going on. In addition, as many are trying to grow their [...]
Remember when you were a kid and your mom or dad told you "If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all."? And then you rolled your eyes (with your head turned so they couldn't see you) and under your breath called your brother a jerk? OK, maybe it was just me. But, [...]
More and more I'm seeing giveaways that may not be fully compliant with federal or state laws governing giveaways. Whether online or off, there are a host of laws that every contest holder must follow or risk significant fines or, in some states, criminal prosecution. Giveaway laws in the U.S. cover sweepstakes, contests, and [...]
Now that you know contract law basics, I'd like to move on to the main issues of contract negotiation. Most contracts, regardless of who they're from, will have been crafted by a team of lawyers and heavily stacked in favor of the other party. It's just how it works. Most lawyers aren't in the business [...]
UPDATE: Facebook changed their promotion guidelines on May 11, 2011. This post reflects information regarding promotion guidelines prior to that date. I have provided an update to Facebook promotion guidelines. Technically, Facebook promotions and giveaways are not a legal issue. However it has come up quite a bit so I figured it's an important topic. [...]
Monetization, ad-sponsored content and conference sponsorship discussions have become more and more prevalent among the blogging community. I’ve noticed that the issue of contractual obligations has started to come up. Throughout the twitter stream I see pleas for sponsorships, giveaway donation, reviews and so forth. In addition, as bloggers, often we agree to a number [...]
If you’ve been blogging for any time, you’ve probably come across people who have talked about incorporating yourself/your blog. Blogging as a business is not a new phenomenon. Making money from blogging, however, is becoming a reality for more and more people. As such, you may want to consider becoming a business. Why, you [...]
Have you ever gone to the local copy shop or office supply store to make photo copies? Do you copy sensitive documents at work? Do you think your insurance company has ever copied your medical information? Now, maybe the question is when was the last time you used a copier. And when you did [...]