New

The three biggies in performance marketing management (Commission Junction, BeFree and Performics) have joined together to issue a Publisher Code of Conduct. All Web publishers working with any of these companies have 60 days from Dec 10 2002 to comply with the following:

Publisher Code of Conduct

The following actions, practices and conduct, whether active or passive, direct or indirect, are prohibited:

Interference with referrals. No Web publisher ("Publisher") or software download technology provider ("Technology Provider") may interfere with or seek to influence improperly the referral of a potential customer or visitor
("End-User") to the Web site of an online advertiser ("Advertiser"). No Publisher or Technology Provider will automatically replace or alter any component of a Service provider's technology that results in a reduction of any compensation earned by another Publisher.

For example, a Publisher or Technology Provider may not use methods or technology to automatically replace a Service Provider's tracking identifier of another Publisher with its own Service Provider's tracking identifier or otherwise intercept or redirect an End-User from being referred by another Publisher.

Publisher may notify an End-User once that End-User has arrived at the Advertiser's Web site of an opportunity to utilize technology employed by that Publisher and obtain the End-User's consent via affirmative action upon each occurrence to proceed with the operation of such technology. Implementation of software application functionality requires that the notification be easily understood by the average End-User, that it occurs on each instance that the functionality is to be activated, and that it is not objectionable to the Advertiser.

Altering another Publisher's site. Publishers may not alter, change, substitute or modify the content of or appearance to an End-User of another Publisher's Web pages, use that Publisher's content to obtain an End-User referral, or obstruct access to another Publisher's Web pages (regardless of receiving permission from the End-User).

Software installation and de-installation. Publishers may not bundle downloadable shopping software applications with other applications, whereby the installation and de-installation is not obvious, easy or complete. Licensing and terms of all software downloads and applications of any type must be clearly presented to and accepted by the End-User, and de-installation must be obvious, easy and complete.