The technical working group formed by the Department of Trade and Industry has released a draft final report on the application of DTI rules on the requirement of sales permit for all online sales promotions.
In the interest of transparency and to allow as many bloggers to check and react to the draft final report, I am sharing the document in full:
Draft DTI Final Report on online sales promotions by bloggers
The DTI has set a December 19, 2011 deadline for TWG members and presumably the rest of the public to give their comments. I will also be posting here on my blog my formal response to the TWG. I hope that bloggers blog about it and send their comments to the DTI as well.
Disclosure: I was nominated and later appointed as a TWG member, but I was unable to attend any of the TWG meetings.
Sir, if I understand it right, the only people affected by this act are those who have:
1. an annual One Million pesos (PhP1,000,000.00)threshold for online promotions with self-purchased prizes
2. TwoHundred Thousand pesos (PhP 200,000.00) for online promotions with sponsored prizes
Otherwise, normal bloggers who do not deal with such amounts can continue blogging. Is that right?
Another the statement confuses me: “The rule shall be implemented for three (3) months starting 04 August 2011 or until 04 November 2011.” Since it is already December 14, this rule does not apply anymore?
Really, there are so many things that need clarifications in relation to DTI’s mandate. This really calls for public consultation, specially bloggers.
Thanks for sharing.
[…] full report can be found here (in blog format by Juned) and here (in Scribd format by Tonyo). Deadline for comments is on the 19th. Best we say what’s on our […]
Clarification on this?
2. Individuals who work with companies or are being utilized by companies in their product advertising and marketing using blogs must file and secure sales promo permit.
So if I’m accepting a paid product advertising and marketing from a company, I, the blogger, should be the one to file and secure a sales promo permit from the DTI??! O.o
I don’t like that. I’ll stick to ‘disclosures’ when doing such product advertising and promotions.
Then another: “However, if advertisers/product manufacturer/producers link with such personal blogger, the blog becomes commercial in nature.”
Please define “link”, because if these advertisers/product manufacturers/producers “link” to our non-business blogs, that is their freedom and it is out of our control. I can for example start linking to all Filipino personal blogs and that will make all of it “commercial in nature”.
What is the scope of it? How will they determine if a “link” will force a non-commercial blog into a “commercial in nature” blog? Example, we do partnerships with community sites, forums, and blogs when running promos, advetising, marketing, contests, giveaways, etc. We usually link to these ‘partners’ to support them. They help us, we help them. They run our marketing plans and we link back to them during this promotional period. This happens whether it is an X-deal, free, or paid. It is ‘standard’ (if you can call it that) practice to do that online.
Finally, how can anyone determine a personal blog from a commercial blog? What is a personal blog? What is a commercial blog? What is a ‘personal’ blog used for business?
Oh, another thing. How can we know if a blog and/or blogger is under the scope of this ‘bill’? Does the blogger have to be living in the Philippines? Does his/her blog have to be hosted locally? Does a blog become under this when it entertains local companies? What if I’m a local blogger, with a UK hosted blog, who accepts advertising, marketing, and promotions from a non-Philippine based companies? Will I be required to get a permit first?
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Thanks Tonyo