The upcoming FTC Guidelines and Book Reviews

There's a good article at mediabistro regarding the new FTC guidelines that come into effect in December 2009. The background is basically that bloggers who write a positive book review must reveal if they were allowed to keep the book. The book will be classed as compensation for an endorsement and require disclosure. If the blogger doesn't say so, they face a fine of up to $11K.

This is from a previous mediabistro article.

Literary blogger Edward Champion interviewed Bureau of Consumer Protection representative Richard Cleland about the guidelines to clarify for blogging reviewers. Cleland noted that newspaper book reviewers are exempt, because "the newspaper receives the book and it allows the reviewer to review it, it's still the property of the newspaper." These new guidelines will be put into effect on December 1, 2009.

I don't think it's fair for newspapers to be treated any differently from bloggers. A newspaper's reach is very likely to be more widespread than a single blogger's. Magazines and newspapers get free samples from companies on a regular basis so why the exemption?

Mediabistro's Oct 6 article suggests how this can be approached.