What is Associated Content?
Visit the About Us page for an overview of AC.

Are there fees to join Associated Content?
There are no fees to join AC. In fact, we will pay you when you create valuable content. The sign-up process is easy, and you can start submitting content immediately. Click here to join. To learn about earning money through AC, click here.

I signed up but haven't received my confirmation link email. What can I do?
If you have not received your confirmation email, please contact us for help activating your account. Please let us know the email address you signed up with and your name.

Can I have more than one account?
Per our Master License Agreement, an individual can only have one account with Associated Content. Opening more than one account may result in suspension or banishment from Associated Content.

I forgot my username or password. What can I do?
Your username is an email address. If you can't remember it, please contact us for help. Let us know your name and any email addresses that could potentially be your username. If you forgot your password, click here to reset it. If you still can't log in, please contact us.

Why does Associated Content ask for my address and other personal information?
In order to target specific opportunities to you that will match your interests and location, we collect some basic information. The more information you provide in your profile, the more relevant the opportunities will be. Your email address(es), date of birth, country of citizenship, street address and zip/postal code will not be displayed to the public, nor shared with others. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information.

I can't login. What should I do?
Make sure you're entering your full email address as your username when logging in - oftentimes an incomplete email address is the problem. If you still can't log in, please contact us. Be sure to let us know the email address you signed up with and your name.

I see Associated Content offers login via OpenID. What is it?
Associated Content supports OpenID, which is a system that allows you to log in to many services across the Internet using a single username and password. Instead of keeping track of multiple logins, you can simply create, maintain and use your OpenID. Please visit www.openid.net to learn more and set up an OpenID.

What is RSS and how do I use it?
RSS (Real Simple Syndication) is a tool that automatically updates you whenever content you have selected is published. Instead of searching websites for new content, RSS will automatically send a feed of titles, summaries and links to recently published content to your account on My Yahoo, Google Reader, My MSN, My AOL or any other RSS Reader.

How can I close my account?
To close your account, please email admin@associatedcontent.com from the email address that you use as your Associated Content login, and put "Close Account" in the subject line. Your content will remain online. If you would like to disassociate your name from your published content, please change your byline before contacting us by editing your profile .

How can I make money through Associated Content and how much can I earn?
We offer Upfront Payments ranging from $1 to $20 for certain types of content. All of the content you publish can earn you money via Performance Payments, which currently pays a baseline PPM™ rate of $1.50 for every one thousand page views it receives.

The amount of money you can make at Associated Content is unlimited. As you generate more page views, your Clout level rises - and your Performance Payments do too! Some Sources treat Associated Content as their primary source of income and live off their earnings, taking home hundreds in Performance Payments each month. There are many others who consider AC to be a great source of supplementary income.

Read some AC success stories in our Testimonials section.

How and when are payments sent?
We pay our Sources exclusively via PayPal. All you need to receive payments from us is a basic, personal PayPal account, which is free. To sign up, visit www.paypal.com. Within three business days of you accepting an offer, we will send you an email asking you to confirm your PayPal email address. Upon confirmation, you will receive payment via PayPal within two business days.

You can set your Associated Content account to automatically confirm your PayPal email address after each offer is accepted by clicking on "Auto-Confirm My Payments" from the Payments page of your AC Account. You can always manually confirm your PayPal email address - even before receiving our confirmation email - by clicking on "Confirm Existing Payments."

Typically, Upfront Payments are sent daily, M-F (except for holidays). If a payment is not sent one day, it will be sent the following day. Performance Payments are sent at the beginning of each month, no later than the second Wednesday, to accounts with at least $1.50 in Performance Payments.

Who is eligible to be paid?
You must be at least 18 years old to be paid by Associated Content. If you are also citizen or legal resident of the United States, you are eligible for both Upfront and Performance Payments. If you are not a citizen of legal resident of the United States, you are only eligible for Performance Payments due to U.S. tax regulations.

Occasionally special promotions and bonuses are offered to Sources. In order to participate, you must be a citizen or legal resident of the United States, and your account must be in good standing (meaning you have not violated any details of the Master License Agreement or our Terms of Use , including opening multiple accounts or submitting copyright-infringing content).

Once you reach $500 in earnings, you must provide Associated Content with a completed U.S. W-9 form before receiving further payments.

What are Performance Payments?
Performance Payments are payments based on the traffic to your content and allow you to earn unlimited cash from your text, video, slideshow and audio submissions long after they have been published. You earn money for every one thousand page views your content generates (PPM™ rate). The baseline PPM™ rate is currently $1.50 - meaning if you generate 30,000 page views, you're paid $45.00 in Performance Payments. As your library of content grows and your total page views accumulate, your Clout level increases. When you reach Clout 7 and beyond, your PPM™ rate will gradually increase up to a maximum of $2.00 per thousand page views. Visit your Account page to see your current estimated earnings and track your page view statistics per piece of content from the My Content section of your Account page. Click here to read more about the Clout system.

What is an Upfront Payment?
An Upfront Payment is a payment for your content offered before it is published. It is in addition to the money you can earn via Performance Payments. You must be a citizen or legal resident of the United States with a verified account to be eligible to receive these offers. Click here to learn more about submitting content for Upfront Payment.

Why should I set my account to auto-confirm my PayPal email address?
After verifying your account, we'll then ask you to confirm your PayPal email address. You have 90 days from the time the payment enters your payment queue to verify your account and confirm your PayPal address. Payments left unconfirmed will expire after 90 days. If you choose the auto-confirm option, your PayPal email address will be confirmed as soon as the payment is put into your Payment queue, and you won't be asked to manually confirm this address each time a new payment is added. Your payments will then be automatically transferred within two business days. We suggest you successfully receive one payment before turning on this feature.

My content has been published. Why haven't I been paid?
If you're expecting payment from AC and you have not been paid it's probably because:

1. You haven't verified your account or confirmed your PayPal email address. Please confirm your PayPal email address manually by clicking on "Confirm All Payments" from the Payment page in your Associated Content account. If you haven't verified your account yet, you can do that by clicking here. All payments expire after 90 days, if you do not verify your account and provide us with a confirmed and accurate PayPal email address.

2. Your payments have been frozen because you've been sent an IRS W-9 request. We send W-9 requests for two reasons: you have been paid more than $500 in this tax year or because our system has flagged your account for a possible Terms of Use violation. In this scenario, you must file a W-9 form with Associated Content to resume receiving payments. Download the form at: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf and mail it to:

Associated Content
Attn: Payments Administrator
88 Steele Street, Suite 400
Denver, CO 80206

Or fax it to: 1-866-202-0306

If you have not received payment and have ruled out both of these issues, please contact us.

I had an Upfront Payment offer on my content, but it's not there anymore. What happened?
In order to receive payments from Associated Content, you must have a verified account. If within 90 days of receiving an Upfront Payment offer you still have not verified your account, the offer will be revoked and the content license on the affected piece(s) will be changed to Display-Only. You can check the status of all of your payments here.

My Performance Payment balance was reduced, but why haven't I been paid?
If you have at least $1.50 in your Performance Payment balance at the end of the month, you will be sent a payment. Payments are not immediately sent, however. Once your balance is updated, payments will show as 'pending' until they get sent via PayPal - payments are sent daily, M-F. Note: You must have a verified account to be eligible for any payment. Click here to verify your account now.

On my payment page, what does unpaid/confirmed and unpaid/unconfirmed mean?
If your payment has a status of unpaid/confirmed, you have confirmed your PayPal email address and your payment will be sent within two business days. If the status is unpaid/unconfirmed, you still need to confirm your PayPal email address before your payment will be sent. Simply verify that the email address listed on your payment page is accurate and click on the "Confirm Existing Payments" button on the Payments page. You can change your PayPal email address from that same page.

How can I earn more money through Associated Content?
There are many easy ways to increase your page views and earn more money with AC. Visit our Source Tools page for help promoting your content and our Tutorials page for helpful advice on getting started, writing for the web and optimizing content for search.

How can I see how much money I've been paid?
Click on the Payments page from your Account page to see your payment history.

Will I receive tax information from Associated Content at the end of the year?
If you earn over $600 in a tax year you will be issued a U.S. 1099 for earnings reporting. You will need to complete and return an IRS W-9 (Request for Taxpayer Identification Form) and fax or mail it to our office. Once we have paid you $500 in a tax year we will suspend your payments until we receive your W-9. To prevent any payment suspension, you are welcome to file your W-9 now. Download the form at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf and mail it to:

Associated Content
Attn: Payments Administrator
88 Steele Street, Suite 400
Denver, CO 80206

Or fax it to: 1-866-202-0306

If you have earned less than $600, it is your responsibility to report your income to the Internal Revenue Service. For more information, please visit their FAQ at http://www.irs.gov/faqs/index.html.

What can I submit to Associated Content?
You can submit any type of content (video, text, audio and images) on any topic. We encourage you to submit unique and compelling content on topics you know about - from guides to your favorite local restaurants and activities to tech and craft tutorials to original audiocasts and videos.

If you're looking for ideas, claim one of our assignments, viewable on the right-hand side of the Publish page.

What types of content are forbidden?
Associated Content does not accept adult content, advertisements, classifieds or content that is offensive, defamatory or otherwise in violation of our Terms of Use. For detailed Submission Guidelines, please click here.

What kinds of content have a greater chance of receiving an Upfront Payment offer?
At Associated Content, we encourage content on all topics from all viewpoints. However, we know that certain topics have a greater chance of performing well over a longer period of time - and we offer Upfront Payment on this content. Here are some topics that are typically not eligible for Upfront Payment (excluding assignments):

• AC Tutorials
• Humor
• Poetry/Prose/Creative Writing
• Movie/Music/Television show reviews (except sneak-previews)
• Video game reviews (except of recently-released games, cult-classic games and comprehensive video game guides not readily available online)
• Website reviews
• Editorial/Opinion pieces
• Recipes

What are the rules of publishing with Associated Content?
We do not believe in either gating or policing the true voices of our Sources. However, we reserve the right to reject or remove content which fails to comply with our Terms of Use or Submission Guidelines before or after publication. Additionally, titles may be edited to optimize the content for online publication.

How do I submit a text article?
Please read this quick step-by-step tutorial.

How do I submit video?
Please read this quick step-by-step tutorial.

How do I submit audio?
Please read this quick step-by-step tutorial.

How do I submit a photo slideshow?
Please read this quick step-by-step tutorial.

How do I know which submission template to use?
Browse our submission templates from the Publish page and select the most appropriate one. If you're unsure which template to select, choose the General Article template, and we will re-categorize it for you if necessary.

What's the difference between Exclusive, Non-Exclusive and Display-Only rights?
If you submit as Exclusive, you give AC the Exclusive rights to publish your original content. Exclusive is the best option if you want to maximize your potential for payment and distribution and you don't plan on publishing your content anywhere else.

This content...

• cannot have been previously published.
• cannot be re-published elsewhere by you.
• cannot be removed from AC by you.
• typically attracts higher Upfront Payments.
• is automatically eligible for Performance Payments.
• is automatically eligible for distribution with AC partners.

If you submit as Non-Exclusive, you give AC limited rights to publish your original content. Non-Exclusive is the best option if you want to re-publish this content elsewhere, but still want it to have potential to earn Upfront Payments and distribution through AC.

This content...

• cannot have been previously published.
• can be re-published elsewhere by you.
• cannot be removed from AC by you.
• is eligible for Upfront Payment Review.
• is automatically eligible for Performance Payments.
• is eligible for opt-in distribution with AC partners.

If you submit as Display-Only, you give Associated Content only the right to display your original content. Display-Only is the best option if you want maximum control over this content, with at least a minimum opportunity for payments and distribution on AssociatedContent.com.

This content...

• may have been previously published.
• can be re-published elsewhere by you.
• can be edited or removed from AC by you.
• is not eligible for Upfront Payment Review.
• is automatically eligible for Performance Payments.
• is not eligible for distribution with AC partners.

This is an explanation of the license types available under the Master License Agreement. For details on the rights related to your content published under the previous licenses, please review the Independent Contractor/License Agreement.

Can I change the rights I selected for a submission or reject an Upfront Payment offer I accidentally accepted?
If the status of your content is "submitted" you can change the rights type by clicking on the to the left of the title from the My Content section of your Account page. Make any changes and be sure to click "Save & Next."

However, if you originally selected Display-Only you cannot change the rights type. You must delete the content by clicking on the to the left of the title from the My Content section of your Account and begin the submission process over again.

How do I resubmit my content for review?
To resubmit content click on the to the left of the title on the My Content section of your Account page and complete each step. If an Upfront Payment offer was made you will need to select "I Will Edit & Resubmit" from the drop-down response menu to the right of your title before you can access your content to resubmit.

I don't want to accept my Upfront Payment offer. What can I do?
You can choose to decline the Upfront Payment offer by selecting an appropriate response from the drop-down menu to the right of your title on the My Content section of your Account page. Next, you can edit and resubmit your content by clicking on the to the left or delete it from our system by clicking on the .

I submitted content. How long will it take to be reviewed?
Each piece of content is read and reviewed by a trained Content Manager. Because the system is not automated, the time between submission and publication varies depending on the number of submissions we receive. We guarantee all content is reviewed within two weeks of submission, but often the wait is much less.

What is the review process for content?
Each piece of content is read and reviewed by a trained Content Manager for subject matter, clarity and appropriateness. Depending on the topic and quality, the Content Manager may decide to make an Upfront Payment offer based on the projected number of page views the piece will receive as well as the shelf-life of the topic. Each piece is also scanned for plagiarism and copyright infringement.

How often are page views updated?
Page views are usually updated daily. The date of the most recent update is listed on your Account page. Note: Page view statistics are only estimates. Statistics are only verified and validated when Performance Payments are made.

Why was the title of my content changed?
Titles are edited by our trained Content Managers to make content more discoverable via online search. Most of Associated Content's traffic comes from people searching for information through search engines like Yahoo! and Google. The single most important component of making your content discoverable this way is writing direct, concise titles that include specific keywords that accurately describe your content. Think: "What would a user type in a search box to find my content?" Click here for more advice on creating discoverable titles.

Why was my content removed from the site?
Associated Content reserves the right to remove any content, before or after publication, which does not adhere to the Submission Guidelines or Terms of Use. Common reasons for content removal include:

• Inclusion of affiliate links
• Overtly promotional content or links
• Sexually explicit or inappropriate content
• Plagiarism or copyright infringement
• Images that do not follow our guidelines
• Quality (poor grammar, spelling or length of less than 400 words - poetry excluded)
• Formatting (content not broken into paragraphs; over-use of bullets, underlining, bold, italics; inclusion of byline or title within the content)

Why was an image I attached to my submission not published?
Blurry or irrelevant images (including author portraits) or images that are not from an Associated Content-approved source are deleted without notification. Please read the Image Submission Guidelines for more information.

Can I edit or remove my content after it's been submitted or published?
If the status of your content is "submitted" you can edit it by clicking on the to the left of the title from the My Content section of your Account page. Make any changes and be sure to click through all of the steps.

If we have sent you an offer, you can make changes by choosing "I Will Edit & Resubmit" from the drop-down response menu. Click through all of the steps and your submission will be resubmitted for review.

Once your content is published, you can only edit it if it was submitted as Display-Only. Contact us to request any changes to Exclusive or Non-Exclusive submissions.

You can remove content once it's been published if you submitted it as Display-Only. Simply click on the to the left of the title of the content in the My Content section of your Account page.

You cannot remove content that has been published as Exclusive or Non-Exclusive.

Can I edit or delete an uploaded image that is attached to a text submission?
Before your content is published or before you have accepted an offer, you can edit the credit, copyright or caption of an image attached to any text submission by editing your submission and clicking on the next to the image from the second-to-last step. You can access the submission by clicking on the to the left of the title of the submission from the My Content section of your Account page. Content submitted as Display-Only can be edited post-publication, too.

To completely delete an image once it has been uploaded or to edit the credit, copyright or caption of an image attached to published content submitted for Non-Exclusive or Exclusive rights, please contact us. Include the reason you would like the image removed (or the copy edited). We will take your request into consideration, but once an image is published we only delete it at our discretion.

What does "Unverified Account" mean?
Account verification is a simple process required of all Sources who wish to earn payments from Associated Content. We put this security system in place to combat fraudulent registrations and submissions. Once you verify your account, you will not be asked to do so again.

You can verify your account instantly by phone or by text message. If you are unable to verify in these ways, you may also submit a completed W-9 form by fax. To verify your account now, click here and then click on "Verify now."

After 90 days, all payments to unverified accounts will be forfeited. You can check the status of all of your payments here.

What happens if I don't verify my account?
If you do not verify your account within 90 days of receiving an Upfront Payment offer, the offer will be revoked and the content license on the affected piece(s) will be changed to Display-Only. Your account must also be verified within 90 days of receiving a Performance Payment, or the payment will be forfeited. You can check the status of all of your payments here.

I am trying to verify my account but it won't let me. Why?
Only one account can be verified per phone number. If you share a phone line with another Source, contact verify@associatedcontent.com for further instructions.

How do I update my profile?
To update your profile, log in and click on "Update profile" from the My Information section in the top-right corner of your Account page. From this page you can change all of the fields in your profile, including your byline, login email address, PayPal email address, photo, password, custom URL and more.

I need to edit my real name, birth date or country of citizenship. How do I do this?
If an error was made entering any of these fields upon registration (or if your legal name has changed), please contact us to have them updated.

I don't want my real name to be visible to the public. Can I hide my identity or use a pen name for my byline?
Yes, you can use a pen name to hide your identity. To change your byline from your real name, log in and click on "Update" from the My Information section in the top-right corner of the Account page. What you enter as your byline will replace your real name on all publicly viewable pages on Associated Content (the byline of your published content, your profile page and its URL). It will be updated on your profile immediately, in its URL within 24 hours and on all of your previously published content within two weeks.

I added a custom byline. Why do I still see my real name in results at search engines like Yahoo! and Google?
Search engines may retain cached versions of your content in their results. We can't control what is displayed on third party websites, but as soon as these search engines revisit your content the cached versions will be replaced with new versions that include your updated byline. This usually happens within a few weeks. Note that it will happen sooner if you publish new content, because that will trigger search engines to revisit your refreshed profile and re-index all of your content.

I closed my Associated Content account, but my name and profile still come up in search results at sites like Yahoo! and Google. Why?
Search engines may retain cached versions of your content and profile page in their results. We have no control over third party websites. You can try contacting the website directly to ask them to remove your content and profile from their results.

How can I select the emails I would like to receive or stop receiving from Associated Content?
To select the email alerts you would like to receive or to stop receiving emails from Associated Content all together, visit the Email Preferences section of the Account page.

What does "Block User" do?
The Block User function allows you to delete inappropriate comments left on your content by any non-logged in user and prevent that person from commenting further on that content. However, some spammers will use multiple IP addresses to leave comments, so blocking the user will not delete all of the messages at once. AC continually scans the site for spam comments and is committed to providing a spam-free experience for all users. Please contact us if blocking the user is not effective or if a Source is spamming you.

What is Clout?
Clout is the scale we use to measure a Source's success on Associated Content. You begin your AC career at Clout 1, and climb the Clout ladder gradually based on the amount of content you publish and the amount of page views your content receives. Starting at Clout 7, your Performance Payment rate incrementally increases until you reach the highest level, Clout 10. See all the details here.

What are assignments?
Assignments are (often paid) content ideas created by Associated Content to fill certain content needs. Every day you'll see new content assignments based on programming and site partner needs as well as user trends. In many cases, the subjects you see have been selected specifically with you in mind - your location, your background and your content history (among others).

Claim one or more of the assignments you see, follow any instructions displayed in the assignment details and get cracking! Once your content is submitted, your submission will be reviewed against the assignment requirements. Read the Assignment Desk Beta Policies here.

For help getting started, read this short AC Assignments Tutorial.

How do I claim and submit an assignment?
Think of it as a catalog for content creation. There are a limited number of items (assignments) that can be purchased (claimed). Once you have claimed a subject, it gets moved into a shopping cart (claimed list). By claiming an assignment, you commit to creating content on that given subject according to the advertised details and assignment due date. Some assignments can only be claimed by a small group (or even one Source!), so act fast and check the list of opportunities often! For help getting started, read this short AC Assignments Tutorial.

I claimed an assignment and it's past due. What do I do?
If you cannot complete an assignment, go the My Content section of your Account page, click on the Assignments tab, and then click on "Release" to the right of your claimed assignment. Once your assignment due date has expired, any advertised payment is not guaranteed.

Releasing claims near their due date and/or failing to submit on a claim may prevent you from claiming future assignments.

Why does my friend have different available subjects listed in her assignments?
While some assignments are available to all Sources, many are targeted to specific Sources or groups of Sources based on their submission history, quality, location, interests and more. To increase the number of assignments that we make available to you, make sure you complete your profile, submit on the assignments you claim and stay active on Associated Content!

What does "Payment: By Review" mean?
Assignments listed with a payment of "By Review" will follow the standard review process. An Upfront Payment will be offered if your content is accepted. There is no guaranteed payment amount.

What is a partner assignment and how do they work?
At times we may advertise custom content assignments offering opportunities to produce content for some of our content partners. Check back often to see a refreshed partner list. The content you produce for these assignments will not be published on Associated Content and will not earn additional Performance Payments if they are accepted by the partner sites.

Why didn't I receive the advertised payment for content I submitted in response to an assignment?
In order for any stated Upfront Payment to be honored, all claimed assignments must be submitted by clicking on "Submit" to the right of the claimed assignment from the Assignments tab in the My Content section of your Account, or from the Assignment Desk section of the Publish page. Do not submit your assignment by selecting a template from the left-hand column of the Publish page. If you select a template this way, your submission will not be honored as a response to that assignment and will not receive the appropriate payment.

What are Work for Hire rights?
You will only be asked to submit your content under Work for Hire rights when submitting certain content via the Assignment Desk, and it will be clearly marked within the assignment details. Under Work for Hire rights, the hiring party (either Associated Content or an AC partner) steps into the shoes of the writer/creator and becomes the author of the work for copyright purposes. All of the attributes of copyright ownership - including credit and control - vest in the hiring party, not the creator. The copyright only transfers to the hiring party upon payment of the writer/creator. These rights are essentially identical to Exclusive rights, except they allow for Associated Content to easily pass the full copyright of your content to its content partners. This type of agreement is very common between freelance writers and magazines or other compilation or collective work.

How do I use the Forum?
The AC Forum is a place where you can connect with other Sources to find answers to your questions and share your experiences using our platform. You might want to get started by introducing yourself in the Welcome to AC section. Be sure to read our Forum guidelines, posted in the General Discussions section.

What tools are available to help me promote my content?
Associated Content offers many different ways to promote your content and increase page views. Please see our AC Tools section and read our Promotion Tutorial for more detailed information.

Are there any resources to help me improve my content and earning potential?
Our Tutorials page provides many great suggestions for writing for the Web and optimizing your content. If you have specific questions, visit our Forum and chat with some of our experienced Sources.

What is a Town Hall Meeting?
Associated Content's Town Hall Meetings are free, Web-based events that occur once or twice monthly. Attending meetings is a great way to pick up tips and get the inside scoop about AC directly from its staff members and experienced Sources. Visit the Town Hall page to RSVP for the next meeting. Have a Town Hall topic idea? Email us at community@associatedcontent.com.

What is a Category Editor?
Category Editors are Sources who assist Associated Content in showcasing the best work in various content channels around the site. They're also responsible for building community and assisting other Sources within their category. If you've been an active Source for six months or more and you'd like information about applying to become a Category Editor, please send a message to categoryeditors@associatedcontent.com. Be sure to include a link to your profile.

What is a Community Guide?
Community Guides are experienced Sources who take the lead in welcoming new members to the Community and helping them understand what AC is all about. If you have been publishing on AC for over a year, and have remained active in the Community during that time, you can apply to become a Community Guide. Please email community@associatedcontent.com for details.

What do I do if I find my Display-Only or Non-Exclusive content published elsewhere and I suspect copyright infringement?
You should send a Cease and Desist letter directly to the site that published your content. Since we do not own any of the rights to Display-Only content, we do not have standing to demand that the content be removed. Similarly, with respect to Non-Exclusive content, you retain the copyright and therefore the right to enforce it. For help in drafting a cease and desist letter or a DMCA notice, click here www.chillingeffects.org/sending.cgi.

What do I do if I find my Exclusive content published elsewhere and I suspect copyright infringement?
There are two possible explanations for this issue:

1. Your content may have been re-published on an approved partner's website. Click here for our current list of approved partners. Content distributed to our partners will include your author attribution and Associated Content branding (for example: "Provided by Associated Content"). You will be paid an additional $2 if your content was distributed. If you do not see the partner's name on our current partners list, please contact us to see if it's an approved partner.

2. Your content was published unlawfully by someone unaffiliated with Associated Content. If you do not see the site on our list of approved partners, please email designated_agent@associatedcontent.com with the following information, which will help us expedite an investigation:

• A link to the piece of content on AC and the exact web address of the copied content.
• The results from a search on Domain White Pages. Visit their site www.domainwhitepages.com, and in the designated box, enter the main domain of the suspected site (for example, www.ebay.com/newitem/bestnewtrendsfor2009.html would be entered as "ebay.com"). You can copy and paste all of this information into the body of the email to Designated Agent. Once our Designated Agent has all of this information, your case will be reviewed, and if necessary, a Cease and Desist order will be issued to the infringing website.

Once I contact Designated Agent with all of the required information, how long will it take for the content to be removed from the infringing site?
Associated Content takes intellectual property rights very seriously and takes every reasonable measure to fight copyright infringement. Often we are able to find and contact the infringing party quickly and have the content removed in a timely manner. However, because of the anonymous nature of the Internet, sometimes it is extremely difficult to track down the infringing party. So, while we do everything we can within reason, the time it takes to have the content removed is beyond our control. For more about information about copyrights in general visit /www.chillingeffects.org/copyright/.

How do I notify Associated Content if I find content published on AssociatedContent.com that violates my copyright?
Please click here and follow the outlined steps in order to report copyright-infringing content published on AC.

What partnership opportunities are available with Associated Content?
Please visit our Content Partners page to learn about the variety of beneficial partnership opportunities with AC.

How do I advertise with Associated Content?
AC offers a variety of opportunities to meet your advertising needs. Click here for more information.

Can I license or buy content found on Associated Content?
There are two ways to license content from AC for your website or property:

1. If you are interested in purchasing original, custom-created content for your website or property, please visit our Custom Content page.

2. If you are interested in licensing existing AC content for your site, please visit the Syndication section on this page. Syndication is currently limited to partners with large content needs, but single-piece content syndication will be available soon.

Can I sponsor a channel of content at Associated Content?
Please see the Custom Sponsorship section of this page to learn more about sponsoring a channel of content at AC.

Can I re-publish content I find on Associated Content?
For text content, you may copy the first paragraph only and/or descriptive overview and link back to the content on AC from your blog or website. If you are interested in becoming a partner and syndicating entire pieces of content on your site - or having custom content created specifically for your site - please contact us.

If you would like to use AC's content for any of the following purposes, however, please email us at reprints@associatedcontent.com. Be sure to include a link to the content you're requesting permission to use, and explain the purpose of use.

• University and academic course pack (electronic and photocopying)
• General photocopying
• Offline reprint in newsletters, flyers, and textbook use

What is a W-9?
A W-9 form is a document issued by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for tax purposes. It is used to gather information about an independent contractor.

Why does Associated Content ask for W-9s?
Associated Content asks for W-9 forms for two reasons:

1. When a Source earns more than $500 in a tax year. We use the information obtained from the W-9 to produce a 1099 form, which details the earnings that the independent contractor received from Associated Content for that tax year. AC is required by the IRS to file a 1099 form for each individual making $600 or more in any given calendar year. In order to protect against exceeding the $600 legal limit, Associated Content has imposed a $500 threshold for requiring a W-9 form from Sources. Emails requesting you to submit a W-9 come from accounting@associatedcontent.com.

2. To verify accounts. Our system constantly scans content and Sources for violations of our Terms of Use, Submission Guidelines and Master License Agreement. If an account is flagged for a potential violation, a W-9 request will be sent to verify the account. Once a request for a W-9 has been issued, AC stops all payments to the Source and prevents the Source from logging in to his or her account. All payments resume and the account is reactivated once the W-9 is on file. Emails of this nature come from verify@associatedcontent.com.

What does AC do with the personal information provided on the W-9 form?
Associated Content takes the privacy of Sources very seriously. All W-9 forms are filed securely. Associated Content only uses the personal information provided on the form to verify your account and produce a 1099 form. This information will never be shared with any outside sources except for the United States IRS. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information.

Is it a crime to provide false information on a W-9 form?
When submitting a W-9 form, please ensure that the information appears exactly as it would appear on your tax return. If the information submitted by you on the W-9 form does not match up with the IRS database, Associated Content will be notified in writing by the IRS. At this point, we will contact you and require you to submit another W-9 form.

Civil and criminal penalties may be imposed by the IRS for falsifying information on the W-9 form. For more information, please read the "Penalties" section on page two of the W-9 form.

Can I provide my business information on my W-9 form or must it be my personal information?
Associated Content will accept a W-9 form with the name of your business along with the corresponding Employer Identification Number issued by the IRS as long as the following conditions are met:

1. You must submit a copy of the original letter sent to you from the IRS, which states that your business has been assigned an Employer Identification Number.

2. You must also submit proof that you are in fact the owner of the business. This information can be obtained from the IRS.

If the information submitted by you on the W-9 form does not match up with the IRS database, AC will be notified in writing by the IRS. At this point we will contact you and require you to submit another W-9 form.