Or they'll see you in court...
Written by Karl Bode
Don't call Gator spyware; err, irritating intrusive garbage, or you might be sued by the company for libel. Gator is no stranger to criticism, being a regular target of the Interactive Advertising Bureau, as well as much of the industry, for persistent security holes and sleazy business tactics.
A group of web publishers such as the The Washington Post, the New York Times, and Dow Jones, recently filed suit against the company claiming that Gator sells ads on their Web sites without permission and then pockets the profits. The suit labeled the company as a "parasite that free rides on the hard work and investment" of web publishers.
We've talked about Gator several times in the past. Gator has long been targeted by spyware removal products like Adaware and Spybot search and destroy; even Symantec at one point labeled the program a Trojan, despite Symantec being a one-time investor in Gator corporation.
The software is bundled with numerous applications, and pitched as a useful service (a fairly feeble claim). In reality its primary purpose is to track users shopping habits, provide them with customized advertisements for products, then kick back fees to the Gator corp. when purchased.
Apparently in a PR push to improve their image, Gator corporation has been launching lawsuits against companies who refer to their product as "spyware" according to CNET. It's "Adware", the company insists, since users must approve the product before installation. PCPitstop, a website dedicated to tweaking your system, has settled over a libel suit filed by Gator corporation, and was forced to remove any and all references to Gator as "spyware", as well as articles urging users to boycott the company.
Written by Karl Bode
Don't call Gator spyware; err, irritating intrusive garbage, or you might be sued by the company for libel. Gator is no stranger to criticism, being a regular target of the Interactive Advertising Bureau, as well as much of the industry, for persistent security holes and sleazy business tactics.
A group of web publishers such as the The Washington Post, the New York Times, and Dow Jones, recently filed suit against the company claiming that Gator sells ads on their Web sites without permission and then pockets the profits. The suit labeled the company as a "parasite that free rides on the hard work and investment" of web publishers.
We've talked about Gator several times in the past. Gator has long been targeted by spyware removal products like Adaware and Spybot search and destroy; even Symantec at one point labeled the program a Trojan, despite Symantec being a one-time investor in Gator corporation.
The software is bundled with numerous applications, and pitched as a useful service (a fairly feeble claim). In reality its primary purpose is to track users shopping habits, provide them with customized advertisements for products, then kick back fees to the Gator corp. when purchased.
Apparently in a PR push to improve their image, Gator corporation has been launching lawsuits against companies who refer to their product as "spyware" according to CNET. It's "Adware", the company insists, since users must approve the product before installation. PCPitstop, a website dedicated to tweaking your system, has settled over a libel suit filed by Gator corporation, and was forced to remove any and all references to Gator as "spyware", as well as articles urging users to boycott the company.
I never approved such an installation, but Ad-Aware caught the little bug in my system...