Zango sues antispyware vendor PC Tools
http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/...-vendor_1.html

May 18, 2007

Adware maker Zango has sued PC Tools, makers of the popular Spyware
Doctor software, in a dispute over the way the antispyware program flags
and removes Zango's technology.


Representatives from both Zango and PC Tools confirmed that Zango had
filed suit against the antispyware vendor. However they declined to
provide details on the lawsuit except to say that it involved a dispute
over the way Spyware Doctor rated Zango's software.

"We believe the proceedings are an attempt by Zango to influence our
reclassification process," PC Tools said in a statement e-mailed to IDG
late Thursday. "Prior to the lawsuit we were well into an in-depth
review and reclassification of the latest versions of Zango products,"
PC Tools said. "We advised Zango of this imminent re-rating and we
believe they have chosen to lodge these proceedings as a way to gain
media attention of the review."

The Spyware Doctor Starter Edition that ships with Google Pack assigns
Zango an "elevated" threat-level rating.

According to a posting on a blog called Spamnotes.com, Zango is seeking
at least $35 million in damages, alleging that Spyware Doctor removes
Zango's software without warning users that it will be deleted. The
lawsuit was filed Tuesday in King County Superior Court in Seattle,
according to Spamnotes.com.

Formerly known as 180solutions, Zango is trying to clean up its
tarnished reputation. In November it paid $3 million to settle U.S.
Federal Trade Commission charges that its software was being installed
deceptively on PCs.

PC users have complained that the software has been installed without
warning, forcing them to endure unwanted pop-up ads. The company has
also been accused of tracking user behavior and making its software too
difficult to remove.

Zango now bills itself as an online media company whose products are
critical to the Internet.

Critics are not so sure.

"Zango has exhibited numerous bad behaviors over the past few years,"
said long-time Zango critic Ben Edelman, an assistant professor at
Harvard Business School. "I'd be interested to learn what specific
descriptions Zango believes were false; in my view, most negative
assessments of Zango have strong basis in fact."

After testing Spyware Doctor, Sunbelt Software Director of Malware
Research Eric Howes said that Spyware Doctor clearly notified users
before attempting to remove it. "It's similar to the way all antispyware
and antimalware works," he said.