Comments:
I’ve been dealing with NetEnforcers for several weeks now and they really need to be educated about the internet. First of all, they aren’t familiar with affiliate programs. They don’t understand our affiliate agreements and the licensing implications of brand names. I’m happy to see this blowing up in their faces because this is the only way they’re going to learn. They need authorized dealer listings and they need to be educated on identifying an affiliate link and affiliate datafeed image. They need to realize the sources of this data and they need to acknowledge our affiliate agreements.
Hi, Scott…
Is it blowing up on them? I’d like to hear more if so. Is it possible that OEM’s are simply tired of asking retailers to get affiliates in control… only to hear what amounts to be “we can’t!” back from them?
What are the chances that this is just part of the ongoing war between OEM’s and retailers/distributors wherein OEM’s are saying “no—you cannot just hire affiliates to take data feeds and spew them willie nilly into search engines and have no recourse when things go awry.”
In my situation my NetEnforcers instigator was reprimanded by Sony and told to hold off his case against me. Sony was very unaware of the entire situation and I really don’t think they’re trying to control their affiliates through NetEnforcers. What I think is happening is Sony pays NetEnforcers per case and they’re trying to increase their volume by sending C&D’s to affiliates. After talking to their legal department Sony was just in the dark about this as NetEnforcers. This is just my situation with one brand name, but I think the others are buying into the NetEnforcers pitch without realizing the impact it’s going to have on their sales force.
Hi, Scott.
Thanks for the additional insights. Based on what you say and my own hunch/gut feeling (and based on Amazon’s reaction that I quoted) it is highly likely that Amazon’s affiliate unit is not cutting the check to NetEnforcers. It’s possible that there is internal strain between Amazon’s affiliate unit and its branding people… whom I assume is engaging NetEnforcers.
Any thoughts that anyone has along those lines are welcomed!
I think Amazon’s part in this entire thing is incidental. It seems the problem lies in Crutchfield and Sony for the most part. I know there are other brands involved, but those are the two that pop up the most. Since Amazon affiliates can sell Crutchfield products through Amazon these affiliates are being targeted by NetEnforcers by authority of Crutchfield. I don’t think Crutchfield has communicated their relationship with Amazon and Amazon’s affiliates with NetEnforcers, and I don’t think NetEnforcers has the mental capacity to understand what is going on. They’re obviously very ignorant toward affiliate relationships.
I’m sorry, I mis-spoke. I meant to suggest that Sony and Crutchfield’s branding people have hired NetEnforcers, NOT Amazon… and that this is straining relationships within their companies.
I disagree w/ regard to NetEnforcer’s ignorance. I’m confident that they know exactly what they’re doing especially since they have partners with vested interest in growing businesses that revolve around highly controlled (as they are in the “dirt world") distributor relationships.
There’s a big different between trusted distributors and renegade affiliates. I use the word renegade as retailers have, for the most part, taken data feeds and handed them out like candy. Any fool can build an affiliate site without regard to corporate standards and at no control of the retailer.
That doesn’t set well with OEM brands who know exactly what to do—something that retailers are afaid to do: Shut off their Web sites! They’re the OEM after all, not some rinky dink outfit like Walmart or Sears. Who would the affiliate rather go up against? Footlocker or Nike?
Oh… and this isn’t flushing the baby with the bathwater either. NetEnforcers is targeting individual affiliates from what I can tell… not entire affiliate programs. I would think that quality affiliates (who mind what they do with datafeeds and have a highly communicative relationship with retailers) would be celebrating in this news.
I really don’t think NetEnforcers knows what they’re doing because I do run a legitimate price comparison engine and am hardly a renegade affiliate. NetEnforcers told me I cannot show product images and Sony’s corporate logo, but after supplying them with my contracts stating I can use this information they were confused. They didn’t think I had an existing relationship with Sony and they were only attacking me for the use of the images. Just as many larger price comparison engines like Shopzilla, Shopping.com, Pricegrabber and Pricerunner do. I think they’re just looking for images regardless of the marketing techniques used by the affiliates. I think you’re giving NetEnforcers too much credit.
Scott…
Fantastic information. I may very well be doing that. Thanks for sharing the details and perspectives.
Netenforcers is doing a greta job of taking down illegal use of copyright and trademark logos from websites that are violating this law!
Joe at Netenforcers is completely out of touch with reality. He is both pompus and self-centered and truly believes that he is saving the internet from itself.
What he is really doing (and I admire him for this part) is: exploiting the loopholes in a VERY POORLY written law - specifically the DMCA. Armed with clerks filling out forms all day long, he can take down a thousand ebay auctions - and then report back to His clients that he “SAVED THEM” from another 100 illegal dealers. - The reality is that 99% of these auctions are 100% legal, but the DMCA assumes you are guilty until proven innocent.
The law that Net Enforcers is violating is called RESTRAINT OF TRADE. By not doing due dillengence before filing a take-down notice, they deserve to be sued by the victims of their abuse of the DMCA.
Will it take an Act of Congress to stop these idiots or will enough victims get together to form a class action?
Does anyone know how to contact this ridiculous company? All they’ve given me is a general email address. I tried to contact the law office that signed the email and they told me that they couldn’t talk to me about anything, that I had to speak with NetEnforcers. Who has a phone number for these guys?
These people are complete bullies plain and simple. In their Ebay VeRO about me page they claim the right to file an intellectual property rights claim against you for making claims about an items manufacturers warranty(ie, my item is a month old and still has 11 months left on the warranty) and for selling software that you own. http://cgi3.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=net_enforcers_inc and because they’re in eBay’s VeRO club, eBay takes their word for it and ends your auction. They also have a ‘report a violation’ form right on their front page, so some scumbag ACTUAL grey market seller, you know like all the places selling only ‘refurbished’ or ‘untested’ items which really do damage brand value for example, can prevent legitimate private parties from competing with them. I’m going to war with them and I hope everyone who gets messed with by them does too. Email the PR, press, media relations, or any corporate department you can find of whatever company they’re acting to abuse you on behalf of and tell them that because of this you’ve gone from a loyal paying customer who was using and recommending their products to one who is now actively seeking to comment negatively on them.
I have had issues with getting C&D letters from NetEnforcers but because my brother is an attorney, I got right to the bottom of it and came across this and thought i would share. Fromwhat i found out, Net Enforcers is not out to stop legal sales (what i was doing), but out to protect copyright and trademark laws. My brother spoke in detail with their counsel whom explained the whole Amazon/NetEnforcers/Sony issue. All i was doing was attempting to sellign some products online to make some money. For what it’s worth, i enjoyed the article but its amazing to see how many theories get born without knowing the truth. I’d be impressed if someone (amazon, sony or net enforcers) came forward with a public response to all this.
I’ve dealt with Netenforcers recently, although confused with what they actually did at first, now believe that they are just trying to prevent illegal and fraudulent activity on the internet. Any company who is doing this has my support, because it happens all too often. The nature of the business is obviously going to anger some people. Oh well I guess that’s the chance you take.
I think this article done a great job.What a best way to describe your view. Thanks for sharing with us. Really like your informative article. Hopefully we will get more interesting topic from you in future.
this guy is truly a scam. doing nothing for humanity. “zip”
r.
This is one of very few blogs that was worth the read, a great insight. Your website is very nicely designed, I have already bookmarked it.
They don’t understand our affiliate agreements and the licensing implications of brand names.
Thanks for sharing with us. Really like your informative article. Hopefully we will get more interesting topic from you in future.
For what it’s worth, i enjoyed the article but its amazing to see how many theories get born without knowing the truth. I’d be impressed if someone (amazon, sony or net enforcers) came forward with a public response to all this.
mosses basket
crib bedding
For what it’s worth, I enjoyed reading this article/blog. Thank you so much.
Like other buy wow gold is completely different, mmoinn.com players can not spend a lot of money to buy <a href="http://www.mmoinn.com “> wow gold </a>. We also provide for the players wow power leveling , so that players can be in accordance with the rhythm of their own to stimulate feelings of World of Warcraft. Mmoinn.com trade in the safe and fast.
Great post! I’m just starting out in community management/marketing media and trying to learn how to do it well - resources like this article are incredibly helpful. As our company is based in the US, it’s all a bit new to us. The example above is something that I worry about as well, how to show your own genuine enthusiasm and share the fact that your product is useful in this case Free Article Marketing
Just as many larger price comparison engines like Shopzilla, Shopping.com, Pricegrabber and Pricerunner do. I think they’re just looking for images regardless of the marketing techniques used by the affiliates. I think you’re giving NetEnforcers too much credit. affiliate marketing blog
Would like to get the cheapest wow gold ? As soon as possible to mmoinn.com buy wow gold it! There are unexpected wow power leveling waiting for you in trade mmoinn.com safe and fast!