Thanks for your article – you make some good points. Educated decisions and respect – I don’t think it’s too much to ask for any relationship. I know there are some good organizations for affiliates, however to me this highlights a need for an Affiliate Marketing Council as part of the powerful IAB, which has made a lot of headway in markets like the UK: http://www.iabuk.net/en/1/affiliatemarketing.html

Networks of course also need to do our part to educate merchants so there isn’t a knee-jerk reaction to this.

Thanks,
Mary

AffiliateFuture

One large internet retailer did the same in response to the co. law. (law hadn’t even been signed yet!)

Amazon depended heavily on affiliates in the early days, don’t know if they bring a large % of revenue now though.

While I agree with you that affiliates should be treated with respect by the companies it is also important to keep in mind that affiliates have had adequate warning and three high profile examples from the companies that produce value that if they have affiliates who are supposedly represented by ‘looters and moochers’ (a phrase from Atlas Shrugged) and those looters and moochers attempt to loot and mooch them then the affiliates will be sacrificed in an act of self-defense.

The bottom line and profitable actionable path is simple. Affiliates should take proactive steps, like relocating to ‘Galt’s Gulch’, to protect both themselves and the companies they produce for from the looters and moochers that are strutting around in their costumes and threatening to extort the producers. The message from the looters and moochers to affiliates is clear; they do not care about your business and only want their salaries and pensions even if that means destroying your income streams.

I’m a Colorado affiliate marketer with several web properties.

I posted a related article titled “Bad Colorado legislation forces Amazon.com to cancel Colorado-based Amazon Associates” regarding how the so-called Amazon tax affects us all:

http://milehighmarketing.com/2010/03/08/amazon-cancels-colorado-based-amazon-associates/

Thanks for any more punch you can give to this issue for the side of affiliate marketers.

~Jeff
MileHighTechGuy

In spite of the fact that Colorado affiliates were able to get affiliate nexus language removed from HB 10-1193, Amazon still sent termination letters to thousands of Colorado affiliates, informing th……