Gator-IAB Fight Gets Interesting
from the sue!--sue!--sue! dept
Remember a week and a half ago that whole mess about Gator putting their own ads on top of other ads? Well, the Interactive Advertising Bureau didn’t take too kindly to that. They talked to Gator about the issue last week, and when talks broke down, they put out a statement this morning saying that Gator breaks the law in doing what they do. Gator, which seems like a proactive sort of company anyway, has struck back by suing the IAB for “unfounded accusations and threats”. I think it would be fun (and only fair) if the IAB was allowed to shout down Gator’s arguments in court while Gator’s lawyers were presenting arguments. It would make an effective demonstration of what Gator is doing to online advertisers.
Comments on “Gator-IAB Fight Gets Interesting”
The Wrong Reasons
Unfortunately Gator is being attacked for the wrong reasons. As a user, I don’t have any objection to installing a program that covers over banner ads with stock tickers or some other kind of info that is useful to me — it would be a better utilization of screen real estate. What Gator should be ashamed of is the way their software sneaks its way into your system without any obvious indication. I still don’t see the difference between that and a Trojan Horse, and I’ll bet the hackers don’t, either. I’m waiting for the case where somebody distributes a bunch of data infected with Back Orifice, gets caught, then gets off because he “notified” victims twenty pages into a click-through agreement somewhere.
Is this really a net specific issue?
This strikes me as exactly the same sort of thing as TV networks digitally replacing ads from their competitors in their broadcasts of live events.
A sticky issue to be sure…
Re: Is this really a net specific issue?
Exactly, and with PVRs like Tivo, digital ad replacement and/or removal could be a reality today. I’ve heard that Tivo has been reluctant to add features that make skipping commercials too easy; apparently they feel like they shouldn’t piss off any broadcasters. If memory serves, weren’t they also talking about playing their own downloaded ads whenever you pause a live picture?
I think that all is fair game as long as it’s under the control of the viewer. Nobody questions my right to flip channels or mute the volume or push the image into a P-in-P window. Cable companies have very limited rights to insert ads, I believe, in regular commercial slots, but always based on a contract with the broadcaster. Those principles seem just as valid on the web: as an end user, I can install whatever browser software or plug-in I want, including ad filters, but nobody else, like an ISP can make any changes to content as it is delivered to me.