Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Three Companies Shut Down For Spyware Bundling

Posted by Zonk on from the more-in-the-vein-of-sony dept.

SenseOfHumor writes "A U.S. Court has shut down three companies for secretly bundling spyware. The assets of Enternet Media Inc. and Conspy & Co. Inc., based in California, and Iwebtunes, based in Ohio, have been frozen pending further court action, the FTC said. The court also ordered all three firms to halt downloads of the software." From the article: "According to a complaint filed in district court in Los Angeles, Enternet and Conspy bundled their malicious software with music files, song lyrics and cellular telephone ring tones offered free on a range of Web sites. The software was also disguised as a security upgrade for Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer Web browser."

13 of 95 comments (clear)

  1. So when will Sony BMG be shut down? by 4r0g · · Score: 5, Funny

    Obvious case there.

    --
    - 4r0g
    1. Re:So when will Sony BMG be shut down? by AstroDrabb · · Score: 5, Insightful
      Answer: never. The main difference between Sony BMG and these three companies is that these three companies are/were very small. Once you get enough captital to bribe members of the government with, you basically become untouchable.

      I guess this episode should become a lesson in all MBA classes. If your company is small then keep your head low and do good business. Once the company becomes big enough, _then_ you get to do the nasty things.

      --
      If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land,
      it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. -James Madison
  2. It's all in the name by nizo · · Score: 5, Funny
    ...Conspy & Co. Inc....

    Now there is a great name for a company! Could it be any more obvious their products contain spyware????

    --
    I Am My Own Worst Enemy
    1. Re:It's all in the name by phpm0nkey · · Score: 4, Funny

      Apparently these people didn't finish business school. If you're trying to get away with pushing spyware, it's probably best not to put the words "con" and "spy" in your company name.

      --
      domain combinatorics
    2. Re:It's all in the name by FidelCatsro · · Score: 4, Funny

      The missing letters are surpassingly similar to Iraq phonetically

      --
      The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
    3. Re:It's all in the name by PaxTech · · Score: 4, Funny

      It was all the idea of their law firm, Dewey Cheatem & Howe.

      --
      All movements for social change begin as missions, evolve into businesses, and end up as rackets.
    4. Re:It's all in the name by sconeu · · Score: 4, Funny

      Not to mention their second opinion law firm:

      Takeda, Monet, and Runne.

      --
      General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
  3. Dear Sony... by Picass0 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If I had my way, Sony would be held accountable in a similiar manner. While these companies installed spyware, Sony actually installed a backdoor. Sony's actions are a violation of a far greater magnitude.

  4. Enternet 300? by planetoid · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Is this the same Enternet company who wrote the simple Enternet 300 DSL connection program for routerless users? I remember my ISP would bundle that program with the DSL modems you got for free when you signed up for broadband (are they called DSL "modems" or something else? lol). I wonder how far back their affiliation in spyware goes... I might have to dig up my old computer and take a look-see :/

    --
    Slashdot requires you to wait longer between hitting 'reply' and submitting a comment.
  5. 'bout time... by Mister+White · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Now, let's go ahead and shut down GAIN and all these 'websearch' places, and we'll be doing something. I see the auto-installing IE websearch bars and the "internet optimizer" wares to be some of the most vicious of all spyware. It's beyond intrusive, and downright annoying. Who wants to continually "uninstall" all of these?

    --
    "Crime fighters fight crime. Fire fighters fight fire. What do freedom fighters fight?" -George Carlin
    1. Re:'bout time... by spooky_nerd · · Score: 5, Funny

      Hey now, let's not be too hasty. Uninstalling these things is what keeps me busy at work. You might call them malware, but I prefer the term gainfully-employedware.

  6. 180solutions not mentioned by mcguyver · · Score: 4, Insightful

    There is work left to be done!

  7. Does this mean ... by DikSeaCup · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I won't have to constantly warn the users I support *not* to click on any pop up that says "Your system is unsecure! Click here to secure your system!"

    --
    I talk about stuff.