http://news.com.com/2061-10789_3-6135576.html
Microsoft sues alleged spyware pushers
November 14, 2006 2:37 PM PST
Microsoft on Tuesday filed suit against an individual, Timothy Taylor,
and others, accusing them of distributing spyware. Word of the action
comes on the same day that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said a
federal court shut down the operations of ERG Ventures and Taylor, who
is describe as an ERG affiliate.
Microsoft accuses Taylor and the others in its suit of using screen
savers and other seemingly benign programs as Trojan horses to
surreptitiously install unwanted software on people's computers.
Microsoft helped the FTC in its case against the alleged spyware pushers
and seeks damages from defendants on the grounds that their installation
practices violate the Washington Computer Spyware Act and the Washington
Consumer Protection Act.
Many of the programs used by the defendants were presented as screen
savers showing pictures of well-known celebrities such as Jessica
Simpson, Microsoft said.
Once installed, the programs would surreptitiously download numerous
other programs that bombard users with pop-up ads, track their Internet
activity, redirect their browsers to unwanted pages, add icons to the
desktop and change the users' Windows Registry settings, Microsoft said.
Posted by Joris Evers
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Fundies and trolls are cordially invited to
shove a wooden cross up their arses and rotate
at a high rate of speed. I trust you'll
be 'blessed' with a plethora of splinters.
.
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