Since we launched WebMD, we have regularly sought sponsorships and advertisements from relevant commercial organizations, manufacturers, and other leaders dedicated to providing health and lifestyle information. These sponsorships, which are a form of advertising, enable us to provide you with our award-winning content at no cost to you. WebMD provides opportunities for sponsors to bring you their marketing message and information about their products and services by publishing their information or links within our site. We take several steps to ensure that you can clearly identify content that is provided by and is under the editorial control of our sponsors before you view it, so you can make an informed decision as to whether or not to view it. For more information, read our Advertising Policy.

When You See "From Our Sponsor" on WebMD

In order to clearly distinguish between WebMD content and content that is created or provided by one of our sponsors, we always label content from our sponsors as "From Our Sponsor." While content from a sponsor is subject to WebMD's Advertising Policy, it is not subject to WebMD's Editorial Policy. The sponsor is responsible for the accuracy and objectivity of it's content and it is not reviewed by the WebMD Editorial Department for accuracy, objectivity or balance.

Here are the ways that we identify content as being from a sponsor and some related points that we would like to bring to your attention:

• • All content on WebMD that is created or provided by a sponsor is identified with the label "From Our Sponsor."

• • At the top of each page of content from our sponsors, we place descriptive text to inform you that the content on the page is created or provided by the sponsor and is under their sole editorial control.

• • Links to sponsor content or content from our sponsor are identified with distinctive coloring and will include the label "From our Sponsor or Sponsor."

• • Within a sponsor's content, there may be links to the sponsor's web site.
• • When links to a sponsor's web site are included in content, WebMD notifies you that you are visiting another web site. We describe this process in more detail in the WebMD Privacy Policy.
• • Sponsored content carries the copyright of the named sponsor or the rightful copyright owner.
• • Sponsored content includes a descriptive line at the end of the content noting that WebMD does not endorse any specific product, service, or treatment.

When Third Parties Fund the creation of WebMD Editorial Content

In addition to creating and providing their own content for presentation to you on our site (labeled as "From Our Sponsor"), third parties also provide funding directly to WebMD without having any control over the content. This content may appear in areas of our site that are dedicated to specific conditions or lifestyle activities or may be included in areas of general interest. WebMD has a staff of over 100 writers, artists, cinematographers, producers, editors and medical professionals. By providing the funds to make it possible for our creation of original WebMD editorial content, we can bring you even more great, award-winning information to help you manage your health or make healthy changes to your lifestyle. Whenever we create content or present pre-existing original editorial content in a page/program funded by a third party with third party funding, we identify the content as being "brought to you by", or similar designations noted below during the period that the third party funds the program.

When WebMD content is identified as "brought to you by" a third party we take the following steps:

• • We place descriptive text at the top of the page to let you know that WebMD created the content without any editorial control from the third party who funded it.
• • You will generally see the words "Brought to you by" followed by the name of the third party who funded the creation of the content or is attributed to it with a hyperlink to the definition of "Brought to you by during the period that the third party funds the program."

• • In some instances, we will also use one of the following four (4) additional labels to let you know that the content was brought to you by a third party and these words have the same meaning as "brought to you by"
  • • Funded by [third party name]
  • • Support provided by [third party name]
  • • Made possible by a Grant from [third party name]
  • • Made possible by [third party name]

When WebMD Works with Other Third Parties to Fund the Cost of Educational Content

WebMD works with government and other organizations or associations whose primary mission is to educate the public on health topics or issues. We use a specific framework of criteria to review and select these organizations and work with them to create or select content within specific topic areas. The content is reviewed and edited by the third party and then edited and approved by WebMD's editorial staff. Just like all of WebMD's award-winning content, this category of content is subject to WebMD's editorial policy and process for accuracy, balance, and objectivity.

In these instances, you will find:

• • We place descriptive text at the top of the page to let you know that WebMD created or selected the content with assistance and collaboration from the organization or association we worked with to create the content.
• • You will generally see the words "educational collaboration" followed by the name of the organization who we worked with to create the content a hyperlink to the definition of "educational collaboration."
• • We also tell you if there was additional funding by other third parties who have no control over the content.

Last Updated: February 11, 2011

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