Social Media Dynamics

By Sharon Hill

Let’s look at engineers.

First the engineer personally:

“…unless the person holds a license issued under this chapter, directly or indirectly
use or cause to be used as a professional, business, or commercial identification, title, name, representation, claim, asset, or means of advantage or benefit any of, or a variation or abbreviation of, the following terms:
(1) “engineer”;
(2) “professional engineer”;
(3) “licensed engineer”;
(4) “registered engineer”;
(5) “registered professional engineer”;
(6) “licensed professional engineer”; or
(7) “engineered.”

Second the engineering firm:

A business entity may not represent to the public that it is engaged in the practice of engineering under any business name or use or cause to be used the term “engineer,” “engineering,” “engineering services,” “engineering company,” “engineering, inc.,” “ professional engineers,” “licensed engineer,” “registered engineer,” “licensed professional engineer,” “registered professional engineer,” or “engineered,” or any abbreviation or variation of those terms, or directly or indirectly use or cause to be used any of those terms in combination with other words, letters, signs, or symbols as a part of any sign, directory, listing, contract, document, pamphlet, stationery, advertisement, signature, or business name.  1

So why is this important?

A “friend” provides your information to an Internet directory site to receive a referral benefit, knows that you have a degree in engineering and includes your title as “Engineer”. You do have a degree in engineering, but you are not licensed.  In Texas, the fine ranges from voluntary compliance to $3000 and criminal charges.

Using our Texas example again:

An Internet phone directory lists your company in the Engineering Services category.  Your firm is not registered with the Board or maybe not even an engineering company and you get fined.

Both of these issues have happened to one of our clients.  The first one was caught purely by accident.  When we called the directory company, we were told they do not have any responsibility for how the listings are acquired or if they are correct. If they found the referrer member to be unreliable, they may cancel the member.  They stated that an email is sent (assuming the email address is correct) and you must OPT-OUT.  You read this correctly, not OPT-IN you must OPT-OUT.  If this email gets spam trapped, you could be listed with no knowledge that you are violating the law in your state.  Most of these sites have a way to contact the company about make a report of an inaccurate listing.  All of that is well and good assuming you know you are listed.

The second one was caught by the Board of Engineers.  The phone directory company mistakenly used the Engineer’s phone number with a different directory listing.  The listing was free, but cost the Engineer time in securing a letter from the phone company as proof of the mistake.

Not knowing where and how are you and your company are listed could put you at risk of being in violation of the law.   We plan on checking on other professions in the following weeks.  If you are a licensed professional with restrictions regarding advertising, please comment on our blog.

@social_dynamics

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1 Texas Board of Professional Engineers THE STATE OF TEXAS – TEXAS ENGINEERING PRACTICE ACT AND RULES CONCERNING THE PRACTICE OF ENGINEERING AND  PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING LICENSURE Rules effective September 20, 2009