LinkShare recently sent out an update regarding the ATHENA registration system. ATHENA, which launched in March 2005, is about to institute some improvements to the system based on feedback from affiliate marketers.
Below are the improvements being made to ATHENA per the announcement from LinkShare:
Legal Name based on Entity Type
We have changed the way we collect the Legal Name. It is now based on the chosen entity type. So if you choose an entity type of Individual or Sole Proprietorship then the Legal Name will now be collected in two fields – First Name and Last Name. If however, you choose an entity type such as an LLC, Corporation, LLP, Partnership, Non-Profit, Other, or Foreign then the Legal Name will continue to be a Single Field for the Legal Name. We request that all affiliates check their profile to ensure their Legal Name is recorded correctly. If your Legal Name is not correct, please update your profile with the appropriate information.Tax Forms
The various tax forms have been updated to ensure that your information is appropriately captured and the tax forms we create for you are accurate.
- W-9
Based on the needs of Affiliates that are American Citizens residing outside the United States of America, we have updated the W-9 forms to be accessible to affiliates that have a Legal Entity Country other than the United States of America.- W-8 BEN, W-8 ECI, W-8 EXP, and W-8 IMY
We have updated these forms and the information these forms require. If you are an Affiliate that does not reside in the United States and have used one of these forms, please check and ensure that all the required fields are populated. Please note that the failure to do so could result in actions by IRS, require us to withhold further payment of commissions and/or lead to termination of your continued participations in the network.Channel Type Management
With the ATHENA registration system we established a new concept called the “Channel”, and we required you to select the channel types that you wanted to use. We have now enhanced this feature to allow you to manage your channel types. With the new functionality you can Add/Delete channel types as needed.
In other LinkShare news, they recently held their LinkShare Partnership Summit 2006 in San Francisco. Check out the Revenue Magazine blog for coverage on the event.