ComScore Hit for "Pay to Play" Plan

"Pay to play" business arrangements are unfortunately all too often a cost of doing business. Grocery retailers get stocking fees from suppliers who want better placement, or placement at all, on retail shelves.

Some industry awards essentially are sold. Firms win awards in some category of business excellence, but have to pay money to "announce" the awards. Other competitions require firms to pay money to apply to win.

Trade publishing often involves some explicit promise of coverage in return for advertising, or more commonly, just an implied obligation. Major conference sponsorships nearly always have some element of "taking care of sponsors."

You can make your own decision about whether this is simply a way of doing business, or something worse.

Now comScore is accused of promoting a version of pay-to-play with its Web traffic ratings by Henry Blodgett at Silicon Alley. He says the new policies are a form of blackmail.

http://www.businessinsider.com/henry-blodget-comscore-blackmail-pay-us-10000-or-well-keep-underreporting-your-traffic-numbers-2010-1?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+typepad/alleyinsider/silicon_alley_insider+(Silicon+Alley+Insider)&utm_content=Google+Reader