If at first you don’t succeed in suing an anti-spyware maker for identifying your program as spyware, try, try again. Apparently adware/spyware peddler, Zango, didn’t like PCTools and Kaspersky Antivirus calling it like they see it.
Zango dropped its first case against PCTools and had the second case against Kaspersky dismissed when a federal court deemed that antivirus and anti-spyware companies can block any software they see as objectionable or harassing under the Communications Decency Act.
Wikipedia says the following concerning Zango:
“Zango manufactures adware and spyware typically downloaded as a license key to access games, DRM-protected videos and software for download such as Zango Messenger…StopBadware.org lists a number of undesirable behaviors associated with Zango Easy Messenger, including ‘behaves as spyware,’ ‘automatically runs on startup,’ ‘displays pop-up advertisements’, ‘installs adware.’, and ‘bundled software cannot be closed’.”
Sounds malicious to me, especially the part about pop-ups and not being able to be closed.
Zango tries, fails to sue its way out from under the “spyware” label [Ars Technica]
There must be more this story, a company would spend time in court if it didn’t have a case – big companies can afford wasting time but these small ones not.
Jon
Maybe they are trying to set some sort of precedent?
Heh. Quoting wikipedia. Which quotes ‘StopBadware.org’, known publicity stunt.
Nothing good to say about Zango, but the choice of source is the worst possible.