"Sites Accused of False Advertising"

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has asked federal courts to stop a wave of fake news sites that entice consumers to buy unproven weight-loss products.

The sites are violating Federal law by using the logos of major news outlets to convince consumers they are reading real news reports. In reality, the sites are advertisements.

Any time a web site owner uses a logo, of any kind, to mislead visitors as to the veracity of the web site - and therefore, a product - they are in violation of Federal law.

This is, of course, in addition to being in violation of a copyright and/or trademark. Deception is deception!

I know, as the Director of Chamber of Commerce - on the Web,™ I will be thrilled to see the day they begin checking organization logos for valid verification links!