Lawsuits will start to pop up going after those individuals or groups who raise funds through crowdfunding operations, like Kickstarter, then do not deliver what was promised to its financial backers. Crowdfunding operations depend on securing financing for initiatives from a pool of financial backers often in exchange for incentives.
The lawsuits will NOT go after the crowdfunding operations, which are performing a legitimate service of hooking up people with ideas with people who have money to invest in these ideas, but the lawsuits will instead be going after those who promise they would deliver incentives to the pool of financial backers but did not deliver what was promised.
The bottom line is consumers need to be aware that crowdfunding is not without risk.
SUPPLEMENTAL SOURCE: CONSUMER REPORTS MAGAZINE AUGUST 2014