tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56458872011-04-21T14:56:50.766-07:00Blog Dedicated To Stopping Piracy of Digital PropertySPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comBlogger1531100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1143131874166196342006-03-23T08:14:00.000-08:002006-03-23T08:37:54.270-08:00

News straight from the "there's justice in the world" file..."As of July 1, the GAIN network will cease to exist and no ads will be served through the system," according to ClickZ. Hallelujah!!!! The "G" in GAIN was for "Gator," a horrid spyware application that caused annoying popup ads to appear based on the sites people were visiting. Claria tried to soften the impact of their conduct by

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1142523760236948972006-03-16T07:30:00.000-08:002006-03-16T07:42:40.303-08:00

Clickz reports in Direct Revenue Settles Adware Suit that the "reformed" adware vendor will be paying $300,000 in attorney's fees and costs as part of a proposed settlement in the case. We wish we all had more time to keep writing about adware, but thank goodness the problem appears to be dying a slow death, certainly without any assistance from Stop Piracy Now's opinion writing. The Direct

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1140916090964540792006-02-25T16:36:00.000-08:002006-02-25T17:08:11.016-08:00

The Sun-Sentinel is reporting that Scott Levine, 46, of Boca Raton, Florida was just sentenced to 8 years in prison for the theft of 4,789 computer files from a company called Acxiom Corp. Levine's company, called "Snipermail Inc," distributed Internet ads to e-mail addresses. The name Snipermail probably tells you all you need to know about the ethics of the venture. We're happy to see judges

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1139187280427571292006-02-05T16:46:00.000-08:002006-02-05T16:54:40.466-08:00

Our local paper today has an article about a lawsuit filed by Tiffany & Co. against online powerhouse eBay. Tiffany claims that 3 out of 4 of their items for sale on eBay are counterfeit. eBay counters by saying that they are just bringing buyers and sellers together, and that they never take physical possession of the goods. Both sides have compelling arguments, and we haven't decided yet which

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1138204016862298772006-01-25T07:31:00.000-08:002006-01-25T07:46:56.920-08:00

The Berkman Center has launched a new website worth paying attention to: stopbadware.org. We had not heard the phrase "badware" until today, but it sounds like a good way to sum up all the nastiness that is going on with our PC's. We first took note of Harvard's Berkman Center a few years ago, when Ben Edelman was one of the few souls out there speaking out against the evils of spyware. Since

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1137683476508603332006-01-19T06:57:00.000-08:002006-01-19T07:13:58.403-08:00

Within the last month, we started to receive a new class of spam that we hadn't specifically seen before. Bots are now filling out the "form mail" forms of our sister sites in the MetroGuide Network, presumably with the expectation that what they are doing will be posted to the target website automatically. As a matter of history, we set up our form mail systems to deal with the problem of bots

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1132156073772103942005-11-16T06:29:00.000-08:002005-11-16T08:12:45.180-08:00

Blogger now requires that new posts are passed through a captcha, where users must type in a series of displayed characters. Although this process does prevent the entry of blog posts by machines, it cannot distinguish legitimate human editors from sub-human sploggers who remain unabated in their effort to gridlock cyberspace with trash. When the typed 'captcha' characters aren't recognized or

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1127334121456319332005-09-21T12:38:00.000-07:002005-09-21T13:58:12.170-07:00

One Internet publisher is coping with piracy affirmatively rather than defensively, by integrating the dark side of human nature into his basic business model. Greg Stolze, author of the game Meatbot Massacre, withheld publication of his new creation until a "ransom" was collected from potential customers within a specified time limit, or, he cautioned, the game would not be published and any

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1126192176651189622005-09-08T07:15:00.000-07:002005-09-08T08:15:19.300-07:00

Internet users should be especially wary of fraudulent email correspondence and bogus websites during and after major disasters. Within hours of Katrina's strike, websites sprang up which purport to collect funds to assist storm victims. Some of these websites and spam emails instead are funneling money into private accounts, and some are even more insidious, seeking instead to use disaster

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1124396782469077132005-08-18T13:17:00.000-07:002005-08-18T13:26:22.476-07:00

Convicted cyberthief Jason Smathers told U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein of his culpability in a dramatic case involving the theft of 92 million AOL screen names. "I know I have done something very wrong" were the words of the 25 year old who has no doubt caused untold misery to countless users and parents victimized by pornography and other unwelcome items in their inboxes. Amazingly, he

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1124372219050385002005-08-18T06:10:00.000-07:002005-08-18T07:09:12.116-07:00

Although the latest round of worms released to attack a vulnerability in Windows 2000 appears to have done less damage than previous attacks, there is small comfort in that observation. A worm attack at Memorial Healthcare Systems in Hollywood, FL caused the breakdown of over 2,000 workstations throughout the 5-hospital network due to fatal errors. The worm may have entered the network from a

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1124020100517829022005-08-14T04:34:00.000-07:002005-08-14T04:48:22.903-07:00

Several studies have shown Boca Raton, Florida to be the epicenter of worldwide spam. The area was once known for being the world's penny stock fraud capital. Our guess is that once the scamsters started to realize how easy online fraud is to execute, they abandoned penny stocks in droves. Let's face it -- regulators and prosecutors put penny stock scamsters in jail. Yet, for years and years

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1123618531342840382005-08-09T13:05:00.000-07:002005-08-09T13:15:31.350-07:00

Super-spammer Scott Richter and his bankrupt (both morally and financially) venture, OptInRealBig.com, have agreed to pay Microsoft $7 Million to settle claims related to spam related lawsuits. Despite being recognized as the world's 3rd largest spammer, Richter did not admit wrongdoing, which is just plain wrong. Next time, we hope Spitzer will go for jail time.

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1123467302252026412005-08-07T19:06:00.000-07:002005-08-07T19:15:02.260-07:00

Our day jobs have been keeping us busy lately and it's becoming ever clearer that we have to retool the SPN site and the SPN mission. Look for changes, coming soon. While we're on the issue of changes, we noticed in the news that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is having a meeting on August 9th about how business can protect themselves from cybercrimes. Let's hope that the FDLE has a

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1119892169960464182005-06-27T10:01:00.000-07:002005-06-27T15:21:52.086-07:00

We have been waiting a long time for this ruling. Today, the U.S. Supreme Court remanded to the lower court its earlier decision favoring Grokster and StreamCast Networks, rejecting the argument that holding companies liable for improper use of their technology by customers will discourage technological innovation. Judge Souter, in his written opinion stated, "We hold that one who distributes a

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1116940517999512322005-05-24T06:07:00.000-07:002005-05-24T06:15:18.006-07:00

(Note to readers: sorry we haven't posted anything for so long. We all had a big project in our day jobs at MetroGuide and couldn't break free). As they say, "follow the money." And by following the money trail, the Internet Stock Blog has released an updated analysis of companies that use so called "adware" and therefore might be exposed to risk of being brought to justice by SPN's new,

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1114784525327180012005-04-29T07:07:00.000-07:002005-04-29T07:22:05.330-07:00

A champion in the battle against online piracy has come from an unlikely source -- NY State Attorney General and future gubernatorial candidate Eliot Spitzer. All we can say at Stop Piracy Now is "Thank You, Eliot Spitzer!"Spitzer has filed suit against Intermix, a Delaware company operating in California, alleging deceptive trade practices and trespass to chattels. You can read more about the

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1114526075715148282005-04-26T07:30:00.000-07:002005-04-26T07:34:35.716-07:00

Be extra careful if someone offers you a USPS postal order. According to an article in the New York Times, they have become a vehicle for online fraud. The article mentions that the postal inspector's webpage is a place to report such crimes.

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1114008266196029382005-04-20T07:36:00.000-07:002005-04-20T07:44:26.196-07:00

Waxy.org has a very interesting discussion is online about alleged search engine spam on the popular Wordpress open source website. SEO spam is a huge problem, but, like file sharing, "everybody does it." We've never accepted the "everybody" argument as an excuse, but what mechanism is there to relieve the temptation of the good guys to indulge in a spam tactic, when all they see is the bad guys

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1112987488836831802005-04-08T12:08:00.000-07:002005-04-08T12:11:28.836-07:00

It's about time! Pending appeal, a judge has finally recognized the damage done by spam and sentenced a spammer to 9 years in jail. See Fox News for more details.

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1112799547836250252005-04-06T07:48:00.000-07:002005-04-06T07:59:07.836-07:00

We consider, for entirely good reasons, the Wall Street Journal to be a "lagging indicator" when it comes to technology. The conservative paper usually gets around to reporting trends after they are well established. So, once the Journal takes notice of a tech story, it's been well-researched and it's now a mainstream story. Such is the case today with click fraud. The lead story on Page A1

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1112732558637165602005-04-05T13:13:00.000-07:002005-04-05T13:22:56.886-07:00

Sources of Spam and Viruses. Contrary to popular belief, most spam and viruses do not originate in developing countries, but come from wealthier nations. According to Oren Drori of Commtouch: These trends contradict prevalent assumptions: that spam is primarily sent from developing areas .... In fact, Commtouch analysis shows that wealthy countries of Western Europe are the source of more spam

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1112544432381064892005-04-03T08:58:00.000-07:002005-04-03T09:10:56.986-07:00

Cost Per Acquisition Model Is Giving Way To Online Brand Advertising. Problems with purchase validation and declining ad inventories are fueling the rise of the Cost Per Metric (thousand) alternative model. Will CPA selling continue? Let me put it this way: if brand advertising is the most robust media dollar (read: lucrative to the publisher), then direct marketing will ascend in weak media

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1112543451055654992005-04-03T08:45:00.000-07:002005-04-03T08:52:24.023-07:00

Phishers Now Use DNS Cache Poisoning to Pharm. Pirates posing as legitimate websites to induce banking and other customers to submit sensitive personal information are employing wildcard DNS records and cache poisoning in their latest assaults. The technique, known as DNS cache poisoning, is also being utilized by phishers in an attack know known as "pharming" where a poisoned DNS server

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1112542565172244302005-04-03T08:23:00.000-07:002005-04-03T08:40:27.623-07:00

Pay-Per-Click Affiliates Hard To Police. Fraudulent clicking from affiliate websites is hurting Web advertisers, and search engines profit from illegitimate clicks, despite their public watchdog posture. According to Scott Boyenger, president and CEO of ClickDefense: About 15 to 20 percent of all click activity is erroneous. Seventy percent of that is not by real people .... The advertiser is

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1112206690483975602005-03-30T10:05:00.000-08:002005-03-30T10:18:10.486-08:00

Tim Armstrong, of Harvard Law School, has a long commentary on the Grokster case, with a pro-piracy slant. Observing the proceedings personally, he makes a critical assertion: "an injunction can’t shut down Grokster, the network, because it exists completely apart from Grokster, the company."All we can say is "Bingo."Grokster, the company, is not profiting directly from the actual infringement

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1112198276817537672005-03-30T07:43:00.000-08:002005-03-30T08:06:49.310-08:00

See NYT on the Grokster Oral Arguments. Justice Souter, asking "why isn't a foregone conclusion from the outset that the iPod inventor is going to lose his shirt?," seems to focus on an argument that is running wild through the tech blogs that enforcing copyright will shut down innovation. (We think that's horsehockey). This dovetails with other justice's questions on whether the infringing

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1112149143915288462005-03-29T17:52:00.000-08:002005-03-29T18:19:03.916-08:00

Most of the news analysis going on about the critical case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court has been barking up the wrong tree. Comparisons are made to the seminal 1984 Sony Betamax case, where the Court ruled that VCR devices can be used for legit purposes, and were themselves legit (See, for example, articles by The BBC and The International Herald Tribune). The Betamax analogy misses

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1111701353683070032005-03-24T13:47:00.000-08:002005-03-24T13:55:53.683-08:00

The Wall Street Journal has an article on Page D2 today that has dire news: ...nearly 6% of consumers have changed banks and about 18% have stopped shopping online due to concerns that their personal information has been stolen. Financial Insights, Framingam, MA We at SPN have long contended that the difference between piracy and mere criminality is that the crime of piracy ruins an entire

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1111605399183200592005-03-23T11:12:00.000-08:002005-03-24T07:51:29.273-08:00

Affiliates: Google Partners, or Parasites? The lines between friends and foes are very fuzzy these days in the search ecosystem. Publishers have more options than ever when selecting partners to monetize page-view inventory. Many publishers targeted by Google's AdSense program are prime candidates for other ad networks, as well as for affiliate networks. This pits Google against both affiliate

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1111603944356735172005-03-23T10:23:00.000-08:002005-03-24T07:53:48.550-08:00

Spyware, Adware ... What to Do? Specifically, what can agencies and advertisers do? Here's a four-point checklist, for starters. From Matt Nelson's perspective, public relations manager for Geeks on Call, A lot of the problems we see are related to spyware .... It's a large problem, and it's growing. It's nasty out there. It's getting to the point where you as a user will have to have

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1111163133963593222005-03-18T08:13:00.000-08:002005-03-18T08:25:47.163-08:00

Never Judge A Link By Its Language. We ran across an interesting blog link (http://anti-spam-filter.blogspot.com rel="nofollow"), which appears to cover a topic of interest, yet is itself nothing but link spam. Note that we added rel="nofollow" to the URL, as we wanted our readers to see this example first hand, without building the spam site's link equity each time someone clicks on this link.

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1111000766325653772005-03-16T11:02:00.000-08:002005-03-18T08:12:01.593-08:00

Recent Ebbers Conviction Sparks Hope. Although the piracy was not strictly digital in nature, we are much encouraged and relieved that the former CEO of MCI / WorldCom, a leading Internet commerce player, finally has been brought to justice for the massive robbery of thousands of life savings accounts and corporate investments that triggered a market crash. We predict that CEOs, now that the

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1110810589700732122005-03-14T06:17:00.000-08:002005-03-16T18:10:21.246-08:00

"AutoLink", Gator "adware," frames -- to a publisher what's the difference? Over and over again, everyone gets the bright idea to take advantage of someone else's hard work. Remember way back when when the NYT was being "framed" in by a news link site, and that site put banner ads on the top frame? Then came Gator's spyware (oh, yeah, now it "Claria adware"). Now it's this AutoLink stuff.

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1110554697273129182005-03-11T07:16:00.000-08:002005-03-24T07:56:30.420-08:00

Undelivered Mail. A recurring theme at SPN is that digital piracy not only affects the targeted victim but also poisons the overall business climate, impeding commerce for everyone generally. As email filtering programs and bulk newsletter mailing services enhance their methods for filtering out junk, to keep pace with ever more sophisticated adversaries, more and more legitimate mail is

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1110485399048219992005-03-10T11:56:00.000-08:002005-03-24T08:11:28.020-08:00

Lexis-Nexis Latest Data Theft Victim. On the heels of the massive infiltration at ChoicePoint, the privacy of thousands of users of publisher Reed Elsevier Group's Lexis-Nexis system, including members of the legal profession and judiciary, law enforcement personnel and law school libraries, now has been compromised by a similar breach of security and theft of personal data.The spokeswoman said

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1110395014161897232005-03-09T10:57:00.000-08:002005-03-24T08:13:05.206-08:00

Theft of Personal Data at ChoicePoint Prompts Congressional Action. ChoicePoint's defense that it was a victim of fraud in the release of personal customer data has prompted requests by senators for a series of hearings on the need for better protection of privacy in a digital world."New technologies, new private-public domestic security partnerships, and the rapid rise of giant information

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1110302218352472642005-03-08T09:10:00.000-08:002005-03-08T09:17:06.193-08:00

Click Fraud Again Hits the Main Stream Press. SearchEngineWatch reported on a recent New York Times article discussing the growing fear of fraud in connection with pay-per-click advertising. ("The NY Times Publishes Article About Clickfraud." http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/050304-094130 (04 Mar. 2005).

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1110213069284071322005-03-07T08:06:00.000-08:002005-03-07T08:35:03.636-08:00

Trade Secret Theft Laws Difficult To Enforce. The fascinating account of Mike Wolf, Lionel Trains and MTH Samhongsa illustrates the difficulty in prosecuting the theft of trade secrets, even when the evidence is compelling."The irony of trade-secret theft," says R. Mark Halligan, a lawyer with Welsh & Katz in Chicago and a professor in trade-secret law at the John Marshall School of Law, "is that

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1109778201980849392005-03-02T07:36:00.000-08:002005-03-02T07:44:31.903-08:00

Recent Symposium Offers Advice To Victims of Online Thieves. At the recent Search Engine Strategies Conference in Chicago, a panel of experts made recommendations on how to proceed when victimized by trademark and copyright infringement, theft of a website, click fraud and other crimes. For a synopsis and links to the full report, see Crowell, Grant. "Search Engines and Legal Issues." http://

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1109613225656681682005-02-28T09:15:00.000-08:002005-02-28T10:57:00.363-08:00

Claria's Chief Privacy Officer Appointed to Advise Dept. of Homeland Security on Data Privacy and Integrity. Libya was named to chair the U.N. Human Rights Commission, Iraq was named to chair the U.N. Disarmament Commission, Hitler and Arafat were given Nobel Peace Prizes, and now, despite publishers' expressed outrage at Claria, formerly Gator, for its support of customer hijacking with pop-ups,

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1109353434740642552005-02-25T09:31:00.000-08:002005-02-28T09:54:02.096-08:00

Market Research Software Anti-Spyware Programs Also Snag Some Market Research Software. Market research software is detected by popular anti-spyware programs and deleted, prompting companies such as comScore, to call for a new term, "researchware" to distinguish their purportedly legitimate products from the more disruptive adware and spyware programs. Instead, the anti-spyware industry is

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1109175959763237722005-02-23T08:20:00.000-08:002005-02-23T08:31:16.400-08:00

Claria Launches Advertising Alternative to Pop-Ups. Formerly known as Gator, infamous for its pop-up advertising, Claria appears to have come around to the notion that publishers ought to be paid for hosting advertising, not subverted by pop-ups."Where we have insight into consumer behaviors, we will place a relevant ad," said Scott Eagle, Claria's chief marketing officer. "People don't like

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1109087465621781512005-02-22T07:40:00.000-08:002005-02-23T08:28:04.010-08:00

ISP's Knowingly Aid Spam Gangs. The non-profit group Spamhaus Project has accused MCI of knowingly hosting Spam Gangs for significant profit, and has charged that MCI is the only Western company that defends its profitable spam-tolerant posture on free speech grounds.Spamhaus said "pink contracts," which have been around for many years in the anti-spam community, are at the root of the problem.

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1108997555124090152005-02-21T06:43:00.000-08:002005-02-21T06:52:43.746-08:00

Click Fraud Threatens the Search Engline Advertising Boom. One merchant recently "spent about 200 hours documenting the mischief that drained her budget and diverted customers to a competitor, costing her an estimated $100,000 in sales." Search engines may find themselves defendants in class action suits brought by businesses having lost significant revenue to click fraud. Michael Liedtke, "So

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1108741375480709792005-02-18T07:37:00.000-08:002005-02-18T07:45:00.316-08:00

Wi-Fi Falls Victim to the 'Evil Twin'. The security of wireless hot spots is under increasing threat from a new kind of attack. For a fascinating description of how 'Evil Twin' works and how your security may be compromised, read: Adam Stone, "Meeting the "Evil Twin"." http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/columns/article.php/3482021 (9 Feb. 2005).)

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1108664303085440002005-02-17T10:13:00.000-08:002005-02-17T10:27:01.896-08:00

Is Microsoft's Antispyware beta program enough to protect yourcompany's PCs against the intrusion of threatening malware? For an interesting account of the genesis of Microsoft AntiSpyware and the future of antispyware and adware program marketing, read: Brian Livingston, "Microsoft AntiSpyware: Separated at Birth." http://itmanagement.earthweb.com/columns/executive_tech/article.php/3481661 (8

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1108496761976304522005-02-15T11:38:00.000-08:002005-02-17T10:11:17.546-08:00

Added new term to the SPN Glossary. IDN Spoofing, also called "homographic attack" is the act of exploiting a security flaw in the International Domain Name resolution system found now in most web browsers. The term appears in a recent article about Firefox, Mozilla and other browsers with this flaw. (Sean Michael Kerner, "Firefox, Others At Phishing Risk." http://www.internetnews.com/security/

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1108397176009263092005-02-14T07:31:00.000-08:002005-02-15T10:41:04.960-08:00

Legislation Is Needed When Corporations Eschew Responsibility for Victimized Customers. SPN has maintained that digital piracy not only victimizes its targeted parties but also poisons the e-commerce environment generally. In the recent case regarding $90K stolen by a Latvian entity who intercepted a wire transfer directed to a Miami business's bank, the Bank of America rejected liability on the

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1108143905752122292005-02-11T08:46:00.000-08:002005-02-15T10:42:07.716-08:00

Pirating Corporate Names Is OK At Microsoft? Although Microsoft said that it "regretted the confusion," and despite his high anti-priacy profile, Bill Gates' use of a registered corporate name for one of Microsoft's new programs displays either a remarkable blind spot, or the latest in sheep fashion for wolves. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4243321.stm

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1108085907298388812005-02-10T17:34:00.000-08:002005-02-10T17:42:48.080-08:00

Tsunami Charitable Contributors Beware. Last month's tsunami tragedy in India, Southeast Asia and Africa has prompted an outpouring of charitable support from people worldwide. Unfortunately, such natural disasters are also fodder for fraudsters seeking to capitalize on the public's generosity, as the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has warned http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2005/01/charitychecklist.htm.

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1107873171613920832005-02-08T06:26:00.000-08:002005-02-08T06:33:02.793-08:00

Spam Slams E-Mail and Even Web Use. According to a recent survey, almost half of computer users have reduced their use of email and the Internet because of spam, spyware and related issues. Rob McGann. "Spam Slams E-Mail and Even Web Use," in ClickZ Stats http://www.clickz.com/stats/sectors/email/article.php/3462311 (20 Jan. 2005).).

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1107789754561018952005-02-07T07:04:00.000-08:002005-02-07T07:22:56.126-08:00

Hollywood: P2P is Not About Technology. Attorneys for the Motion Picture Association of America have filed a brief to be reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court at the end of March, in which they ask the Court to overturn a Ninth Circuit opinion that permitted file-sharing companies using P2P technology to escape liability for copyright infringement by their customers. (Roy Mark. "Hollywood: P2P is

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1107355969512322152005-02-02T06:50:00.000-08:002005-02-03T09:30:30.213-08:00

How to avoid click fraud. One form of digital piracy is Click Fraud, which is estimated to account for up to 50% of all pay-per-click business. The article discusses the fraudulent technique of clicking on a competitor's links to drive up the cost of doing business, a practice of which SPN's sister sites have been frequent victims (Andre Vogét, Johannes Selbach. "Facts of the week: How to

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1107185707989380142005-01-31T07:30:00.000-08:002005-01-31T07:35:19.573-08:00

Spamming and Spyware Boom Predicted. As spammers become more proficient and the stakes get higher, spamming and spyware likely will become more troublesome. http://www.cioupdate.com/trends/article.php/3464551 (Richard Stiennon, "Spyware: 2004 Was Only the Beginning," in CIO Update, CIO Information Network, January 26, 2005.)

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1106935986640295342005-01-28T10:10:00.000-08:002005-01-28T10:13:18.026-08:00

House Renews Anti-Spyware Push. Revived and revised legislation aims for early passage in new Congress. http://www.internetnews.com/xSP/article.php/3464631 (Roy Mark, "House Renews Anti-Spyware Push," in InternetNews.com, January 26, 2005.)

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1106760659900273702005-01-26T09:20:00.000-08:002005-01-28T10:09:16.616-08:00

Recent French Court Ruling Reveals Possible Gap in U.S. Copyright Legislation. Google's practice of using trademarked terms as search keys may be treated more leniently in the U.S. than in Europe. Is it time for additional legislation? http://news.com.com/Google+loses+trademark+dispute+in+France/2100-1030_3-5543827.html (Stefanie Olsen, "Google Loses Trademark Dispute in France," in C|Net

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1106759843334091612005-01-26T09:14:00.000-08:002005-01-26T09:19:13.053-08:00

Loophole in Domain Transfer Policy Enables Theft of Domain. The domain transfer policy at an Australian registrar reveals a loophole that was used to hijack an ISP's domain over the weekend. http://www.internetnews.com/security/article.php/3460871 (Jim Wagner, "Panix.com Hijacking Causes Panic," in InternetNews.com, January 18, 2005.)

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1106758940950267202005-01-26T08:57:00.000-08:002005-01-26T09:13:37.713-08:00

First Conviction, Prison and Fines for P2P Copyright Theft. "'Like the defendants who pleaded guilty today, those who steal the work of others over the Internet stand to face serious consequences,' Kenneth L. Wainstein, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, said in a statement." http://www.internetnews.com/xSP/article.php/3461501 (Roy Mark, "DOJ Scores First Criminal P2P Convictions,"

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1106065725310907382005-01-18T08:20:00.000-08:002005-01-18T08:36:48.906-08:00

Phishing Schemes Steal Money Intended For Tsunami Victims. "About 250 fake sites have been launched since the tsunami struck Asia on Dec. 26," according to Bill Franklin, president of Coral Gables-based Zero Spam Network Corp. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/local/sfl-ybtech17jan17,0,174957.column (Ian Katz, "IBM opens way to its code on 500 software patents," in South Florida

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1106065096851845282005-01-18T08:11:00.000-08:002005-01-18T08:18:26.473-08:00

Spammers Pirating Tsunami Donations Erode Efforts of Legitimate Charities. Search engines are favoring Tsunami charity phishing sites ahead of legitimate charities who play by the rules. http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/050118-100647 ("Shame On You: Tsunami Search Spammers," in Blog.SearchEngineWatch.com, January 18, 2005.)

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1105991405635145752005-01-17T11:25:00.000-08:002005-01-17T11:56:36.126-08:00

New Tools Available For Fighting Spyware. James Coates of the Chicago Tribune, reprinted in the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, January 16, 2005, has recommendations for dealing with accidentally downloaded spyware: search for and obtain HijackThis software from Downloads.com and follow the instructions. For more stubborn problems that require expert assistance from a removal specialist, Mr.

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1105724437510405672005-01-14T09:34:00.000-08:002005-01-14T09:40:45.856-08:00

House Revives Anti-Spyware Bill. California Republican predicts legislation will pass both the House and Senate in 2005. http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,1c1o,1,19fg,gb6b,kt94,1aqg (Roy Mark, "House Revives Anti-Spyware Bill," in Internetnews.com, January 6,2005).

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1105723892404159552005-01-14T09:27:00.000-08:002005-01-14T09:33:31.700-08:00

Feds Hit Porn E-Mail Ring With CAN-SPAM Law. Agency moves to shut down operations of porno spam ring operating out of Nevada, England and Latvia. http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,1c1o,1,6elo,159j,kt94,1aqg (Roy Mark, "Feds Hit Porn E-Mail Ring With Can Spam Law," in Internetnews.com, January 12,2005).

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1105627678467132202005-01-13T06:37:00.000-08:002005-01-13T06:49:59.883-08:00

FTC Enforces Anti-Spam Rule Against Adult Websites. The Federal Trade Commission has frozen assets and obtained a restraining order against several Las Vegas sending improperly labeled unsolicited email messages containing sexually explicit content. http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/business/2005/jan/12/518114954.html (Kevin Rademacher, "FTC Charges Vegas Companies Over Sexually Explicit

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1105543284771559422005-01-12T06:49:00.000-08:002005-01-12T07:23:32.460-08:00

IAPP National Summit 2005. The International Association of Privacy Professionals holds a national summit this Spring, when authorities from business and academia will present an overview of the current privacy and data security operational environment. http://privacyassociation.org/html/summit.html (IAPP National Summit, Omni Shorham Hotel, Washington, D.C., March 9 - 11, 2005).

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1105063487687468892005-01-06T18:00:00.000-08:002005-01-06T18:04:56.426-08:00

Court Rejects DMCA Subpoena Process ... Again. Decision upholds earlier ruling that music industry must use traditional subpoenas in P2P legal wars. http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,1bk3,1,bq7g,9qvc,kt94,1aqg (Roy Mark, "Court Rejects DMCA Subpoena Process ... Again," in InternetNews.com, January 5, 2005).

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1103749651130245412004-12-22T13:02:00.000-08:002004-12-22T13:10:05.883-08:00

New Legal Issue for Search Engines -- When Keywords Are Also Trademarks. Companies charge that Google's use of their trademarks as keywords is unfairly deflecting sales and revenue. http://www.infoworld.com/article/04/12/22/HNgooglesearch_1.html (Juan Carlos Perez, "Trademark Owners Battle Search Engines," in InfoWorld.com, December 22, 2004).

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1103553308143231062004-12-20T06:21:00.000-08:002004-12-20T08:45:28.260-08:00

Tech Firms Hire Hackers As Cyber-Security Specialists to Cope With Ever More Sophisticated Attacks. Extortion, denial-of-service attacks are becoming standard features of conducting business, risking millions in revenue, and creating a new job market for master cyber sleuths. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-sbgoodguys19dec19,0,7501426.story?coll=sfla-home-headlines (Ian

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1102941930457790352004-12-13T04:35:00.000-08:002004-12-14T07:53:06.686-08:00

Added new term to the SPN Glossary. Spam Rage is a relatively new term that is appearing in the press, covering acts of rage motivated by spam. The term first appeared in connection with a case, now a year old, written up in a number of publications, for example: http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=16400563 (George V. Hulme, "Move Over Road Rage--Here Comes Spam

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1102709477474812022004-12-10T13:01:00.000-08:002004-12-10T12:11:37.256-08:00

Internet Subversion Threatens Children, Not Just Commerce. Innocence can be pirated as well as commercial interests. www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=41867 (Rebecca Hagelin, "Protecting Your Kids From Internet Predators," in WorldNetDaily.com, December 10, 2004) offers suggestions for parents on how to prepare children to interact responsibly and safely in Cyberspace.

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1102689540442626342004-12-10T06:34:00.000-08:002004-12-10T06:42:41.380-08:00

Phish Fighters Form Alliance. Latest digital crime-fighting initiative unites ISPs, software vendors and financial institutions. http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,19z9,1,m41b,2fwj,kt94,1aqg (Susan Kuchinskas, "Phish Fighters Form Alliance," in InternetNews.com, December 8, 2004).

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1102254123631278862004-12-05T05:32:00.000-08:002004-12-05T05:48:20.883-08:00

StopPiracyNow.org Adds Link for Reporting ID Theft to the FTC. The Links section of the StopPiracyNow.org Website (http://www.stoppiracynow.org/resources.html) now includes a direct link to the Federal Trade Commission's ID Theft Home Page, where you can report suspicious contacts as well as learn the steps to take if you have been a victim of identity theft.

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1101930552052747722004-12-01T11:48:00.000-08:002004-12-10T06:41:05.510-08:00

Overture Settles with Geico. Overture's settlement may discourage others from fighting a protracted court battle. http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/041201-091645 ("Overture Settles With Geico Over Trademark Case," in SearchEngineWatch, December 1, 2004).

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1101852220165928032004-11-30T13:51:00.000-08:002004-11-30T14:03:55.940-08:00

Google's Motion For Summary Judgment Of Geico Case Denied. Judgment on Google's motion to dismiss American Blinds case is pending, but now more likely to be denied, as well. http://battellemedia.com/archives/001076.php (John Battelle, "News: Google Motion of [sic] Summary Judgment Denied in Geico Case," in John Battelle's Searchblog: Thoughts on the Intersection of Search, Media, Technology, and

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1101814622159412792004-11-30T03:24:00.000-08:002004-11-30T06:40:55.956-08:00

FBI Charges Businessman In DDoS-For-Hire Scheme. U.S. Attorney Arif Alikhan prosecutes "first case where you have a corporate executive who was using the services of another person to launch attacks against competitors." http://www.ladlass.com/archives/004250.html (Kevin Poulsen, SecurityFocus, "FBI Busts Alleged DDoS Mafia," in Internet Changes Everything: Diary & Research On How Internet Is

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1101234974778119832004-11-23T10:32:00.000-08:002004-11-23T10:55:02.216-08:00

More On Google's Suit Over Clickfraud. We posted an announcement yesterday regarding Google's suit. More details are provided at http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/11/23/google_sues_clickfraud/ (John Oates, "Google Sues Website Over Click Fraud," in The Register, November 23, 2004).

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1101152130430839072004-11-22T11:27:00.000-08:002004-11-23T10:57:28.030-08:00

Google Enforces Its Anti-Clickfraud Policy. http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/041122-093115 (Google Sues AdSense Affiliate Over Clickfraud, post submitted by Danny Sullivan reprinted in SearchEngineWatch.com, November 22, 2004).

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1101131989674841582004-11-22T05:50:00.000-08:002004-11-22T06:07:21.026-08:00

U.S. Dept. of Commerce Press Release Addresses Corporate Identity Theft and Piracy. A recent DOC press release mentions the corporate identity theft of South Bend, IN firm Abro Industries by a small Chinese firm in the Hunan Province, and reviews current efforts to deal with global counterfeiting and piracy through the Strategy Targeting Organized Piracy (STOP) program. http://www.commerce.gov/

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1100814246568050162004-11-18T13:36:00.000-08:002004-11-18T14:00:11.293-08:00

Click Fraud Is Most Insidious Threat To Web Commerce. Although the Federal Trade Commission is addressing fraudulent practices on the Internet, it is doing little regarding the most serious threat to fair trade: click fraud, according to Professor Penenberg of New York University who argues, "consumers do have a stake in the integrity of the internet. That's why the FTC should take action." http

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1100548204637825072004-11-15T11:35:00.000-08:002004-11-15T12:01:53.946-08:00

Identity Theft or Identity Fraud? The buzz in the media and an advertising blitz has blurred the line between fraud and identity theft, according to TowerGroup. The result is an identity theft epidemic that is overstated, and an identity fraud problem that is alive and well. http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,186v,1,bpip,akv6,kt94,1aqg (Michael Pastore, "Fraud Often Mistaken for Identity

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1100444134271033292004-11-14T06:51:00.000-08:002004-11-14T06:55:34.270-08:00

Added new term to the SPN Glossary. Keylogging is the latest pirate outrage that consumers need to be aware of.

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1100443308240954442004-11-14T06:02:00.000-08:002004-11-14T08:06:58.883-08:00

Internet Getting Too Polluted To Navigate. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-sbspyware14nov14,0,7503720.story?coll=sfla-news-broward (Ian Katz, "The Possessed PC: Users At Greater Risk From Lurking Software," in Sun-Sentinel.com, Broward County Channel, November 14, 2004) reports that spyware and adware programs are making it increasingly more difficult for private individuals,

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1100202820382349382004-11-11T11:51:00.000-08:002004-11-11T11:55:13.410-08:00

Spammer Gets Slammer. A Virginia jury hands out nine-year prison term in first U.S. felony spam conviction. http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,17r4,1,cmq8,izje,kt94,1aqg

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1100010480287384762004-11-09T06:08:00.000-08:002004-11-09T06:30:04.280-08:00

Pirates destroy desire to create. http://edition.cnn.com/2004/TECH/fun.games/11/05/videogametheft.ap/index.html (AP, Dallas, Texas, November 5, 2004, in CNN.com, International Edition) provides an up to the minute compelling illustration of how piracy drains the creative spirit, reports on the current progress of the Entertainment Software Association's Online Enforcement Program and

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1099950704461881182004-11-08T13:44:00.000-08:002004-11-08T14:10:04.610-08:00

Leaving no stone unturned. For a jaw-dropping review of some of the tricks of the piracy trade, check out http://www.pandia.com/sw-2004/40-hijack.html("Spammers hijack web site listings in Google." Pandia Search Engine News. September 13, 2004) Although the U.S. Copyright Office, Library of Congress has well-established rules for dealing with thieves of printed works, it is still the high seas

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1099924210827046422004-11-08T06:22:00.000-08:002004-11-08T06:38:20.860-08:00

Another company stands up against unfair advertising practices. Advertising companies are beginning to distinguish themselves from their less than honorable peers. See: href=http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,17b3,1,511c,kfd7,kt94,1aqg (Parker, Pamela. "WhenU: We're Not Like the Rest." ClickZ News, October 28, 2004).

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1098994734924780352004-10-28T13:15:00.000-07:002004-10-28T13:19:07.990-07:00

Privacy and Desktop Search: A Closer Look by Danny Sullivan http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,16o8,1,1g96,ja6k,kt94,1aqg

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1090268330629894822004-07-19T12:59:00.000-07:002004-07-19T13:21:09.683-07:00

Spammer and Typosquatter ordered to pay $4 million. See http://www.clickz.com/news/article.php/3381951.  This particular pirate, who made the mistake of going up against Microsoft (what was he thinking?) had registered deceptive domain names like wwwwindows.com, hottmail.com and wwmsn.com.  Since Microsoft has the resources to get a summary judgment, justice will no doubt be searved on the

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1088346364907869032004-06-27T07:19:00.000-07:002004-06-27T07:26:04.906-07:00

A Busy Week in the Battle Against Spyware. (Ooops, "adware.") Links to articles:- WhenU Wins Injunction Against Utah Spyware Law by Pamela Parker- L.L. Bean Settles With Two in Claria Case by Zachary Rodgers- Anti-Spyware Bill Clears Committee Hurdle by Roy Mark- Wanted: Adware Disclosure Standards by Pamela Parker

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1088209606888800882004-06-25T17:09:00.000-07:002004-06-25T17:26:46.886-07:00

Article: Man Indicted for Click Fraud. See http://news.com.com/Man+indicted+in+Google+fraud+scheme/2100-1024_3-5247311.html by CNET News.com.

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1087830207279065522004-06-21T07:55:00.000-07:002004-06-21T08:03:27.280-07:00

Beware! The Spammer Blob Is Taking Over Blogs. (see http://scottwater.com/blog/archive/2004/06/11/BrokenWindows.aspx). Like the Blob in the classic Sci-fi horror flick, spam is now starting to take over the blogosphere. Heralded as the next big thing -- with the same enthusiasm that was once reserved for the now-staid web -- open blogs are being sullied with the same offers for body part

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1087486635821576722004-06-17T08:18:00.000-07:002004-06-17T08:37:15.820-07:00

FTC Reports on Do Not Email(DNE). http://www.ftc.gov/reports/dneregistry/report.pdf (requires PDF reader). The Federal Trade Commission reported to Congress that a national DNE would not be an effective anti-spam strategy. Hard to argue with that, but they then throw in a zinger:Without effective authentication of email, any registry is doomed to fail. With authentication, better CAN-SPAM Act

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1086961024524447382004-06-11T06:25:00.000-07:002004-06-11T06:37:04.523-07:00

MSN to Hunt Down Spam Websites. See http://www.pcmag.co.uk/News/1155758. SPN has two reactions to this. First of all, after years of rewarding (and we mean REWARDING) spammers and copyright theives, it's nice to see the search engines start to take the problem of spam sites seriously. The entire credibility of the Internet as a source of information is being undermined by an endless array of

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1084905181005029422004-05-18T11:30:00.000-07:002004-05-18T11:33:01.006-07:00

L.L. Bean Sues Other Marketers for Claria Pop-Ups, by Pamela Parker, ClickZ News, May 18, 2004. http://www.clickz.com/news/article.php/3355321

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1084720376464972162004-05-16T07:45:00.000-07:002004-05-16T08:12:56.463-07:00

The Company You Keep: Child Porn goes P2P. On Friday, Attorney General John Ashcroft announced 65 child pornography arrests of people using P2P networks like KaZaa to share the illicit files. P2P networks were among the first to associate themselves with the pirates who run spyware networks, no doubt since the two groups clearly recognized each other as kin. So this new association shouldn't

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Addition to our Hall of Shame. Canadian Justice Konrad von Finckenstein is SPN's latest edition to our Hall of Shame, due to his ruling against the CRIA's (Canadian Recording Industry Association) desire to get individual P2P user info from Canadian ISP's. Putting privacy ahead of law enforcement, von Finckenstein's ruling is akin to letting a thief go because the right to keep his ski mask on

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1083813762279485132004-05-05T20:22:00.000-07:002004-05-05T20:26:53.860-07:00

Is Google Adsense Clicking Piracy the Next Wave? India's secret army of online ad 'clickers'. Look, everyone's got the right to make a buck, er, rupee, but do these particular folks in India, and elsewhere, think that they are anything other than pirates? Frankly, this kind of thing has been going on since the dawn of affiliate programs for search results, long before nations outside the U.S.

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Hallelujah! FTC Puts Spammers in the Pokey. Yesterday, April 29th marks an important day in the fight against digital piracy. For the first time, the U.S. Government has made arrests under the CAN-SPAM act (See http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2004/04/040429canspam.htm). The alleged spammers, accused of routing mails through intermediate computer servers to cover their tracks, were located in Detroit

SPN Editorial Boardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441363542140257154noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5645887.post-1083182827937616012004-04-28T13:07:00.000-07:002004-04-28T13:10:13.373-07:00

"Gmail: the Next Gator?" Not event close! We've been critical of Google of late, and as the putative gateway to all human information, Google deserves the extra scrutiny it has been receiving from all quarters. The attacks on its new Gmail free e-mail service, however, are starting to stretch things a bit. So for a change, SPN is going to rally to the Google flag in their defense.In a recent

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