The Federal Trade Commission has just updated its version of Frequently Asked Questions, or FAQs, that relate to the " Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising" that went into effect December 1, 2009. You can find the updated FTC website page right here "What People Are Asking."
If you are a loyal Legal Bytes' reader, you know we have been following this since as early as November 2008, when we posted Endorsements & Testimonials – FTC Broom Proposes Some Sweeping Changes, and numerous updates and informational pieces have graced these pages since then (now when we say "pages," we mean web pages). You can refer back to any or all of them, or you can check out any you may have missed right here: FTC Testimonial and Endorsement Guides Stimulate Industry Comment (March 2009); a presentation given at the University of Limerick on the subject entitled " Trust Me, I'm a Satisfied Customer: Testimonials & Endorsements in the United States," which you can download; Ghostwriters: Medical Research or Paid Endorsers (and are they mutually exclusive?) and Rights of Publicity – Wake Up and Smell the Coffee! (both in August 2009); and FTC Releases Updated Endorsement & Testimonial Guidelines and Reed Smith Analysis of the New FTC Endorsement and Testimonial Guidelines (both in October 2009).
In December 2009, Legal Bytes posted another thoughtful and practical analysis FTC (Revised) Endorsement Guides Go Into Effect, written by John P. Feldman, so you know Reed Smith is following and keeping up with developments as they occur.
So, if you want to know more or have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me, or any Reed Smith attorney with whom you regularly work.
This article is presented for informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice.
