Cop Fired For Using Database To Spy On Ex-Wives >>
<< IBM-Lenovo Deal Now Official
 tdicon 

Scams

by Mike Masnick

Tue, Dec 7th 2004 7:05pm





Spyware vs. Spyware

from the just-what-everyone-needs dept

What would you expect from sneaky companies that feel the need to put nasty applications on your computer without first making it clear to you what they really do, and then making themselves nearly impossible to uninstall? Since there are so many of these spyware/adware/malware offerings out there, sooner or later they were going to have to clash. The latest is that one such firm, Avenue Media, is freaking out that another firm is removing their software. That's right, while it's nearly impossible for you to remove some of the adware crap you get stuck with -- other adware providers are figuring out ways to disable the competition. It's tough to feel sorry for either party. Avenue Media claims that DirectRevenue has disabled 1 million customers -- representing half of its installed base. All this says to me is that people who tend to get one piece of crap adware seem to end up with multiple pieces of adware. As for DirectRevenue, the company that actually raised a bunch of VC money, recently claimed they were shedding the spyware label by focusing on "transparency, transparency, transparency," with their users. Apparently, that transparency doesn't apply to competitors. The one good thing that may come of this, is that the lawsuit may bring about a more detailed understanding concerning what's legal for software applications to do in changing your computer without first making it clear what they're doing.

8 Comments | Leave a Comment

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments (rss)

(Flattened / Threaded)

  1.  
    identicon
    Beck, Dec 8th, 2004 @ 9:37am

    Detection Avoidance

    If one piece of spyware is running on a computer, the owner doesn't notice. But when several get on their and they really start to bog things down, and compete with each other for resources, and start locking up Internet Explorer, then the owner realizes that something is wrong and calls his brother-in-law to fix his computer. The brother-in-law comes over, discovers all of the spyware, and removes it.



     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  
    identicon
    Beck, Dec 8th, 2004 @ 9:41am

    Error

    "There", not "their"

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Dec 8th, 2004 @ 11:25am

    No Subject Given

    "making themselves nearly impossible to install"

    I think you mean "making themselves nearly impossible to uninstall".

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  
    icon
    Mike (profile), Dec 8th, 2004 @ 10:48pm

    Re: No Subject Given

    I think you mean "making themselves nearly impossible to uninstall".

    Absolutely right. Fixed. Thanks for pointing it out.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  5.  
    identicon
    hanzie, Dec 9th, 2004 @ 8:25am

    Funny debate coming up in court

    I can see how this lawsuit could turn out to be fun. You see, DirectRevenue actually specifies in their EULA that, by accepting the EULA, the user grants them the right to uninstall any software they like. So technically, users have granted their permission for Avenue's spyware to be removed by DirectRevenue (that is, if they can be said to have accepted the EULA).
    So what argument is Avenue Media going to use? "No, they can't do that. The only one who can determine what software stays or goes on this user's PC is us!!" Yeah, that's gonna stick! :-)

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  6.  
    identicon
    Dennis Tedder, Mar 13th, 2007 @ 12:52pm

    Threatening

    If I can find out which company owns CiD popup and installed it on my drive, I would like to pay them a personal face-to-face visit.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  7.  
    identicon
    Dennis Tedder, Apr 9th, 2007 @ 12:15pm

    You think this is threatening?

    You have not read the elements of offence with respect to "threatening" as it were. A quote from a movie goes, "you haven't seen me in a threaten yet."

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  8.  
    identicon
    Marcy Ambrose, Jul 17th, 2007 @ 8:37am

    Re: Threatening

    This guy is not one whom you should threaten.

     

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


Add Your Comment

Have a Techdirt Account? Sign in now. Want one? Register here
Get Techdirt’s Daily Email
Save me a cookie
  • Note: A CRLF will be replaced by a break tag (<br>), all other allowable HTML will remain intact
  • Allowed HTML Tags: <b> <i> <a> <em> <br> <strong> <blockquote> <hr> <tt>
Cop Fired For Using Database To Spy On Ex-Wives >>
<< IBM-Lenovo Deal Now Official
 tdicon 
Follow Techdirt
Flattr rss rss
A word from our Sponsors...
Sponsored Resource
Essential Reading
Techdirt Reading List
Techdirt Insider Chat

A word from our Sponsors...
Recent Stories

Tuesday

8:02pm: WIPO: Informal Economy Innovates In The Absence Of Intellectual Monopolies (7)
5:00pm: DailyDirt: Augmented Vision (2)
3:50pm: States Attorneys General Want Special Exception To Blame Sites For Actions Of Users (39)
3:02pm: Google, Without Admitting It Gets FISA Orders, Files Lawsuit To Challenge FISA Gag Orders (22)
2:29pm: NYPD Commissioner Blasts NSA Secret Monitoring For Being Secret (20)
1:43pm: It's Come To This: Commentators Arguing That The Press Commits A Crime In Exposing NSA Surveillance (46)
1:00pm: US Chamber Of Commerce: Bollywood Is So Successful Without Strong Copyrights That It Will Fail Unless India Strengthens Its Copyrights (44)
11:58am: Senator Lindsey Graham Defends NSA Surveillance By Arguing About Something Entirely Different (52)
11:15am: NSA Claims Surveillance Programs Aided The Stopping Of 50 Attacks; Details Lacking (71)
10:31am: The NSA's Lockbox Has No Lock (45)
More arrow
A word from our Sponsors...

Close

Email This