BinZiad
19-11-2002, 16:07
Subject: Amazon denies backing Israel
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2473005.stm
Amazon denies backing Israel Jerusalem Post Amazon has cancelled its deal with the Jerusalem Post
By Stefan Armbruster
BBC News Online business reporter
Amazon.com has denied it is offering customers the chance to "support"
Israel by buying goods through its website.
The world's largest online retailer has demanded that the Jerusalem
Post's online edition restract a clearly labelled and prominently
displayed advertisement on most of its news pages.
You may not in any manner misrepresent or embellish the relationship
between us and you... including expressing or implying that Amazon.com
supports, sponsors, endorses or contributes money to any charity or
other cause
Amazon
"They have refused to comply and as of Thursday we have terminated our
agreement," Patty Smith of Amazon told BBC News Online.
"We have asked them to take it down and if any sales are made through
them they won't receive any commissions."
The chief executive of the Jerusalem Post did not respond to BBC News
Online's request for an interview.
A source at the paper said the "advertisement" had been not been paid
for by Amazon and half of the commissions from referral sales were paid
to charities "that support Israeli causes".
False advertising
Amazon operates an "associate" programme that allows websites to earn up
to a 15% referral fee for purchases made through links to the retailer.
But it forbids associates from implying that the deal means they support
the websites ideologically.
"You may not in any manner misrepresent or embellish the relationship
between us and you... including expressing or implying that Amazon.com
supports, sponsors, endorses or contributes money to any charity or
other cause," the company states on its website.
Amazon, which claims over 800,000 associates worldwide, provides the
artwork to link to its home page which the associate is not allowed to
modify without permission.
The Amazon spokeswoman said the Jerusalem Post published its link
without approval.
Other sites, like Shop4Israel.com, clearly explain the money raised
through Amazon would be donated to charities "to help the state of
Israel and our brothers and sisters who live there".
Ms Smith said that Amazon had never donated any money to Israel or
charities that support Israeli causes.
Amazon has previously been accused of supporting Palestinian groups
through associate agreements.
The Jerusalem Post is published by Hollinger International, which also
owns the Telegraph newspaper and the Spectator magazine in Britain.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2473005.stm
Amazon denies backing Israel Jerusalem Post Amazon has cancelled its deal with the Jerusalem Post
By Stefan Armbruster
BBC News Online business reporter
Amazon.com has denied it is offering customers the chance to "support"
Israel by buying goods through its website.
The world's largest online retailer has demanded that the Jerusalem
Post's online edition restract a clearly labelled and prominently
displayed advertisement on most of its news pages.
You may not in any manner misrepresent or embellish the relationship
between us and you... including expressing or implying that Amazon.com
supports, sponsors, endorses or contributes money to any charity or
other cause
Amazon
"They have refused to comply and as of Thursday we have terminated our
agreement," Patty Smith of Amazon told BBC News Online.
"We have asked them to take it down and if any sales are made through
them they won't receive any commissions."
The chief executive of the Jerusalem Post did not respond to BBC News
Online's request for an interview.
A source at the paper said the "advertisement" had been not been paid
for by Amazon and half of the commissions from referral sales were paid
to charities "that support Israeli causes".
False advertising
Amazon operates an "associate" programme that allows websites to earn up
to a 15% referral fee for purchases made through links to the retailer.
But it forbids associates from implying that the deal means they support
the websites ideologically.
"You may not in any manner misrepresent or embellish the relationship
between us and you... including expressing or implying that Amazon.com
supports, sponsors, endorses or contributes money to any charity or
other cause," the company states on its website.
Amazon, which claims over 800,000 associates worldwide, provides the
artwork to link to its home page which the associate is not allowed to
modify without permission.
The Amazon spokeswoman said the Jerusalem Post published its link
without approval.
Other sites, like Shop4Israel.com, clearly explain the money raised
through Amazon would be donated to charities "to help the state of
Israel and our brothers and sisters who live there".
Ms Smith said that Amazon had never donated any money to Israel or
charities that support Israeli causes.
Amazon has previously been accused of supporting Palestinian groups
through associate agreements.
The Jerusalem Post is published by Hollinger International, which also
owns the Telegraph newspaper and the Spectator magazine in Britain.