iPhone Dev Refuses to Pay Bribed Sites, FTC Informed [Update]

We recently broke news of an iPhone developer who tried their hand at bribing sites for content. Those that refused the bribe were met with a larger bribe and failing that, blackmail. Many wondered at the time about the high priced initial offer of $300 for each article discussing the game’s sequel, and it’s now become clear how the developer could afford such PR; they never intended to pay up.

Update: Glentwood, the developer at the centre of all this, has denied not just that these emails were sent from them, but that the sequel in question exists at all. Glentwood also denies any bribes took place or that they have contacted bloggers, nor have any bloggers contacted them.

Negative Gamer has learned that an FTC complaint has been filed, but not by any of the publications involved. Instead the complaint was apparently filed by a concerned third party who wishes to remain nameless.

After agreeing to publish an article about the game, one writer who’s name we won’t publish, received the following email upon request for the owed money;

haha that was a lot of fun
thnaks for sales we made off your article

The previously published article has now been taken down.

Interestingly, with the new FTC guidelines in place since the start of this month, this practice of offering undisclosed bribes is now an offence and could land the developer with an $11,000 fine. The fact the payment was never actually given doesn’t absolve the dev, and if anything could act as a second offence.

If you’re wondering, here’s the important part from the FTC guidelines document (here’s a pdf link):

Advertisers are subject to liability for false or unsubstantiated statements made through endorsements, or for failing to disclose material connections between themselves and their endorsers.

Both the original writer and the iPhone developer have been asked for comment on any FTC involvement and we’ll be sure to update you if we get a reply.