The Federal Trade Commission’s new endorsement guidelines go into effect December 1, 2009. They require bloggers to explain their relationship with the products and services they feature on their websites. This includes book reviews, exhibit reviews, and pretty much anything where the motivation behind a review or mention needs to be clarified. Since this blog and its companion sites are all about education and the sharing of any number of items, you’ll be seeing a small link to the disclosure statement quite frequently. When you click on this link, here is what you’ll see:
ArtPlantae Disclosure Statement
The artists, authors, educational programs, special events, and organizations featured in posts, interviews, special announcements, and directories do not pay ArtPlantae LLC for their inclusion on any website owned and operated by ArtPlantae LLC.
Once in a blue moon (literally) a book publisher sends an unsolicited advance copy of a book to ArtPlantae for consideration. If a book is relevant to ArtPlantae’s educational objectives, it is reviewed and becomes a display copy at ArtPlantae Books. Any book that is not deemed to be relevant (such as a romance novel whose title makes reference to a plant or some aspect of gardening), is promptly given to the nearest avid reader. Other than rare “blue moon” events, titles reviewed by ArtPlantae are researched, hand-selected and purchased, or are selected from ArtPlantae’s private library containing books acquired at any number of bookstores or book sales during the past several years. Books and gift items available for purchase on ArtPlantae websites are linked to ArtPlantae Books, an online independent bookstore owned and operated by ArtPlantae LLC.
Advertisements are marked clearly. ArtPlantae LLC reserves the right to place advertisements on any site it owns and operates that it feels may be of interest and of value to its community of artists, naturalists, and educators.
Affiliate programs are marked clearly. For providing ad space, ArtPlantae receives a small commission for purchases completed through the links that are provided.
ArtPlantae LLC reserves the right to feature artists, authors, books, educational programs, special events, and organizations on any site it owns and operates that it feels may be of interest and of value to its community of artists, naturalists, and educators.
ArtPlantae LLC
