Tabberone is pronounced tab ber won |
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Source: http://www.thoughtshapers.com/index.php/weblog/amazon-affiliates-under-attack-threaten-class-action-netenforcers/ June 9, 2007 - content has not been altered. Links have been removed. |
Amazon Affiliates Under Attack,
by Jeff Molander
The age old Cold War between retailers and original equipment manufacturers just ran head-first into affiliate marketing’s biggest success story—Amazon.com. Amazon is under attack by its own affiliates, reports 5Staraffiliateprograms. In short, Amazon affiliates are accusing NetEnforcers of creating a hoax -- in an effort to shut them down by calling up hosting services and, in some cases, convincing them to shut off affiliate Web sites (for fear of legal reprisal). I say again: shutting off their Web sites. I thought re-structuring link formats was a way to fight this fire. That’s relatively child’s play. At the center is a “brand protection” agency that has ties to marketplace-based sofware solutions providers which provide a relatively (versus affiliate marketing) controllable business environment. In reality, this is absolutely not a hoax and based on a serious dose of mis-information, lack of understanding or both. I (and others like Lauren Freedman) have discussed, for years now, the subject of this phenomenon: Major OEM (original equipment manufacturers) brands having problems with Web affiliate programs (operated by their retail distributors). Many have suggested that I was wrong or over-focused on negative aspects. Affiliates’ perceived impact on brand experience, largely through poorly executed Web sites, is quite real (out of date pricing and/or product information, non-conforming logos and images, etc.). The phenomenon I warned of is bigger, meaner and more powerful than even I could have imagined.
Amazon Responds |
“Associates - It has come to our attention that some participants in the Amazon.com Associates Program have received letters from an entity called ‘Net Enforcers’ or from a law firm working on behalf of Net Enforcers. In these letters, Net Enforcers alleges that certain product images or other web site content violates their clients intellectual property rights. Some of you have received these letters because of images or other content that you receive from Amazon.com as a result of your participation in our Associates Program. We believe these claims regarding Amazon Web Services are simply wrong, and we are committed to working with you and Net Enforcers to help resolve these issues. If you would like Amazon.com to respond to Net Enforcers on your behalf, please contact us at associates@amazon.com, and include a copy of any letters you have received from Net Enforcers regarding Amazon.com content.” |
You know it’s getting good when you see Amazon flying in choppers loaded with big payloads of water to douse the flames. They’re even going as far as suggesting they’ll complain to NetEnforcers who will, in turn, shuffle it up the chain to their client—likely on its way directly into the circular bin. |
Can Retailers Catch a Break?
What’s worse than being an affiliate who gets squashed by search engines, retailers themselves or—lately—the likes of Sony and Crutchfield? I say, being a retailer who can’t get e-mail delivered, is forced to play the price game (shopping comparison); challenged to re-create the stores experience online; forced to deal with transaction fraud and returns-and-cancels operations; forced to discount or compete with discounters; challenged to aggregate demand (as a shopping mall does) in a medium (the Web) that can’t support it; forced to deal with manufacturers increasingly selling direct… the odds are truly stacked against retailers. Retailing sucks!
Lack of Perspective June 15, 2006 |
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