The ‘original’ Spyware company closes its doors?

Gator, Claria, JellyCloud (love that name!) finally going out-of-business?  Perhaps, check the ValleyWag story here.

The debut of T-Labs University!

Transparency Laboratories is committed to the industry and community and it brings me great pleasure to announce the first of our free T-Labs University ‘classes’; Trademark Infringment 101 - How to determine who is bidding on your trademarks.  TI101 is a complete walk-through/how-to, teaching you how to extract the Destination URL (Landing Page) for a Paid-Search Ad and how to use that URL to determine who is doing the bidding.  While this course is focused on Google AdWords, the techniques work for other Paid Search Engines.  Arm yourself with knowledge necessary to protect and defend your trademarks with Trademark Infringement 101!  If you need more help, be sure to check out our Trademark Infringement and Abuse Monitoring Services.

Yahoo Search Marketing revs engine, jumps shark

Jumping the Shark is a term used to describe television shows that are:

typically deemed to have passed their peak, since they have undergone too many changes to retain their original appeal, and after this point critical fans often sense a noticeable decline in the show’s quality.

More specifically,

Jump-the-shark moments may be scenes like the one described above (Happy Days character Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli jumps over a shark) that finally convince viewers that the show has fundamentally and permanently strayed from its original premise. In those cases they are viewed as a desperate and futile attempt to keep a series fresh in the face of declining ratings

The term can apply to anything that has changed to the point of being, in a sense, of rapidly declining value and utility. As of today, I think that Yahoo Search Marketing’s editorial processes may have ‘jumped the shark’. Read more

The debut of T-Labs Research and more…

Today, marks the debut of Transparency Laboratories Research, and maybe not exactly the type of research that might be expected! There are several, very very good, people releasing research demonstrating non-compliant activity, and that is certainly something that we will also be providing in the future too. But, to kickoff our research library, we wanted our first project to be reflective of the general philosophy of Transparency Labs. We could have named the company “Compliance Assurance Associates”, with a tag line of “Keeping your program clean, compliant and confident”, but that’s not who we are, although that is what we can do. Read more

Judge declares winner in Tiffany v. eBay lawsuit

On Monday, a federal judge ruled in favor of eBay in its lawsuit with Tiffany over counterfeit items being sold on eBay. According to Judge Richard Sullivan, “Tiffany must ultimately bear the burden of protecting its trademark”. From the San Jose MercuryNews:

Sullivan agreed with estimates that “a significant portion” of Tiffany silver jewelry listed on eBay’s Web site during surveys by Tiffany was counterfeit, but that was largely Tiffany’s problem unless Congress changes the law.

“The court is not unsympathetic to Tiffany and other rights owners who have invested enormous resources in developing their brand, only to see them illicitly and efficiently exploited by others on the Internet,” Sullivan concluded.

“Nevertheless, the law is clear: It is the trademark owner’s burden to police its mark, and companies like eBay cannot be held liable for trademark infringement based solely on their generalized knowledge”

Barring a change in the law, it is clear that - for the time being - trademark owners will have monitor and defend their brands and trademarks on their own. If you, or your company, need expert assistance in Trademark Monitoring, please feel free to contact us.

Authenticity is the key

Over on Revenews, Jeff Molander has posted an article which I think anyone performing marketing on the Internet should read. The essential point is authenticity, “being real” and trust are the cornerstones to building a community around your marketing and your brand. It is a way of reaching customers who are increasingly unresponsive to tradition marketing approaches. Promotions that feel ‘forced’ just don’t cut it… anyone remember WalMart’s MySpace knock-off, “The Hub”? Fortunately, it was put-out-of-it’s-misery 10 weeks after launch… in spite of the money thrown at The Hub, no one believed it, because it wasn’t ‘real’. Authenticity is the key.

Will trademark bidding be policed?

Today, on Revenews, Angel Djambazov has posted an interview with Chris Henger, the Group Product Manager for the Google Affiliate Network (formerly the VP of Marketing & Product Development at Performics). It’s quite an interesting article, and I encourage everyone to check it out. Most of the focus of the interview centers on what changes and innovations are planned for now that, as of May 30th, Performics has been re branded as the Google Affiliate Network. The question, “will trademark bidding be policed?”, is asked and I think Chris’ answer is important to highlight: Read more

Welcome!

“Smiles everyone! Smiles!”
– Mr. Roarke, Fantasy Island

Welcome to Transparency Laboratories! While, at this time, we don’t have a Mr. Roarke or a Tattoo, this is a place where fantasies can come true! Provided, of course, that your fantasies involve transparency and compliance in your Affiliate and Internet Marketing efforts… If this sounds like you, or your company, then, “Smiles everyone” indeed! With a network of “Scientists” with over 20 combined years of experience in this field, Transparency Laboratories offers a suite of services designed to, literally, turn your dreams into reality! Read more