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Bleeping Computer Countersues Maker of SpyHunter

Posted by msmash on from the returning-the-favor dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Bleeping Computer, a longstanding popular discussion forum that helps people rid their computers of malware, has now countersued Enigma Software Group (ESG), which makes an antivirus software known as SpyHunter. Bleeping now claims that ESG has been violating Bleeping's trademarks by registering new domain names that include "bleepingcomputer" and posting some of the company's webpage's source code on other websites without its authorization, among other allegations. ESG had sued Bleeping for libel earlier this year over a series of messages that it claims disparaged SpyHunter and the company as a whole.From the filing:Enigma's lawsuit is plainly nothing more than an attempt to bully and censor Bleeping Computer, and to deter anyone who might criticize it -- one more attempt in Enigma's long pattern of threats, intimidation and litigation. Worse, however, is that all the while, Enigma has been engaged in aggressive, secretive, and cowardly attacks against Bleeping Computer, including ripping off Bleeping Computer's content and pretending it was authored by Enigma, repeatedly misusing Bleeping's registered trademark to trade upon its goodwill, and publishing blatantly false claims about Bleeping. As the following allegations demonstrate, Enigma conducts its business in a manner that is illegal, unethical and simply immoral, thereby demonstrating that Quietman7's mildly critical statements about Enigma's product, that so enraged Enigma and lead to this lawsuit, pale in comparison to the egregious misconduct Enigma perpetrates on a regular basis.

43 comments

  1. Where's the smokescreen? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    And I thought this lawsuit was going to have to do with smokescreens and driving into the back of trucks while speeding down the highway.

    1. Re:Where's the smokescreen? by Pax681 · · Score: 1

      And I thought this lawsuit was going to have to do with smokescreens and driving into the back of trucks while speeding down the highway.

      ah.. the memories... i have the theme from Peter Gunn in my head now!

    2. Re:Where's the smokescreen? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Same! I clicked on the story to see if it was emulation related, but came away disappointed.

  2. Who? What? by Frosty+Piss · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    1. Similar domain names have been a scam vector for so many years, if Bleep Whatever is so popular as to attract the ire of these assholes, maybe they should have been proactive years ago and bought up those domains? It's not a huge cost.

    2. To be honest, I've never heard of either of these to groups, though the Scam Wear folks seem to be on a suicide mission. On the other hand, when Bleep Whatever vanquishes them, they will just show up under a different brand.

    --
    If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
    1. Re:Who? What? by Zaowulf · · Score: 2

      Did you really just suggest that they buy every possible domain containing their name? Not just .org and .net but also bleepingcomputerfreest00fscammerz and etc.

    2. Re:Who? What? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      if Bleep Whatever is so popular as to attract the ire of these assholes, maybe they should have been proactive years ago and bought up those domains? It's not a huge cost

      They should have bought up every combination of domain names that could use bleepingcomputer in them? You're joking right?

    3. Re:Who? What? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're a moron or oyu didn't read the article (surprise). Do you really think a company should buy every domain it can that contains any combination of words related to the company name?? One of the domains listed as an example was browser.hijack.bleeping.computer.virus.spywareremovalfreetrial.com.

    4. Re:Who? What? by James+in+PDX · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Surprised you have never heard of bleepingcomputers.com Bleepingcomputers.com is a VERY good site to keep abreast of ransomware and free decryptors for ransomware. Maybe the best site for this information. I don't work for them, but have used their advice many times and recovered tons of encrypted data.

    5. Re:Who? What? by cdrudge · · Score: 4, Informative

      1. Similar domain names have been a scam vector for so many years, if Bleep Whatever is so popular as to attract the ire of these assholes, maybe they should have been proactive years ago and bought up those domains? It's not a huge cost.

      I'm going to presume that you didn't read the actual complaint. This wasn't the competitor buying up bleepingcomputersucks.com or bleepingcomputeralternatives.com, arguably permissible domain names without causing infringement. The two domains that it explicitly mentioned in the complaint were bleepingcomputerregistryfix.com and adware.bleeping.computer.remover.getridofspywareonphone.com. Neither of those domain names would be predictable to proactively register to prevent competitors from using them. Or in the second instance, even could be registered since the 2nd level domain doesn't infringe itself. There would be a nearly infinite number of combinations of domain names and keywords that would need to be registered which definitely would have a huge cost. And both the examples I think do run foul of trademark law as they were designed to deceive legitimate trade.

    6. Re:Who? What? by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 1

      ". Similar domain names have been a scam vector for so many years"

      Antivirus programs themselves are a similar scam vector. When you download one of them, you have to make sure it's not one of those identical-looking clone of MalwareBytes or AdAware that actually spreads malware.

    7. Re:Who? What? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is reminding me of someone who got his account scammed on Gaia Online by a guy called "Banning Manager", and he blamed the site because "They shouldn't let people use admin names".

    8. Re:Who? What? by St.Creed · · Score: 1

      I think GP owns a domain name selling company. Otherwise the statement would indeed be retarded, but I'll go ahead and give him the benefit of doubt: he's a shrewd businessman!

      --
      Therefore, by the (faulty) logic you're using, you're just a cow with a keyboard - osu-neko (2604)
  3. Trademark Confusion by mujadaddy · · Score: 3, Funny

    *hums Peter Gunn theme*

    *sprays oil slick*

    --
    Populus vult decipi, ergo decipiatur...
    "Force shits upon Reason's back." - Poor Richard's Almanac
    1. Re:Trademark Confusion by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      funnily enough, that was my first thoughts.

    2. Re:Trademark Confusion by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 1

      Heh he, yeah, that's what came to my mind as well. What a great game, and the music- classic stuff.

      Now I really feel old.

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    3. Re:Trademark Confusion by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Which episode was that?
      http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051301/episodes?ref_=tt_ov_epl

  4. Aaaah? by fubarrr · · Score: 1

    Wtf? Subhuman lawyertards begrieving normal people?

  5. An Arcade Game? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

    I used to kick ass in it

  6. Bleeping Computer has been a big help to all by ITRambo · · Score: 4, Informative

    Pardon my "French". I check Bleeping Computer's site often, since our shop works on PC's. Their Combo Fix was a godsend back in the day, and is still useful on Windows 7 machines that are infected. Spy Hunter, on the other hand, is a piece of shit run by slim balls. I will never Spy Hunter. AdwCleaner, Combo FIx, Junkware Removal Tool and others do a better job and aren't put out by assholes.

    1. Re:Bleeping Computer has been a big help to all by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      amen!

      bleeping computer rules.

    2. Re:Bleeping Computer has been a big help to all by Locke2005 · · Score: 4, Funny
      "Spy Hunter, on the other hand, is a piece of shit run by slim balls."

      Exactly how slim are their balls?

      --
      I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
    3. Re:Bleeping Computer has been a big help to all by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just as narrow as their minds.

    4. Re:Bleeping Computer has been a big help to all by freeze128 · · Score: 1

      I, also, will never Spy Hunter.

      Oh, did you mean to have a VERB in there somewhere?

    5. Re:Bleeping Computer has been a big help to all by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He didn't need a verb, as Spy Hunter is already a verb. Since a few hours ago, when ITRambo verbed it.

      To celebrate I'm gonna go out and ITRambo the next noun I see.

    6. Re:Bleeping Computer has been a big help to all by Mr.+Shotgun · · Score: 1

      Exactly how slim are their balls?

      According to the mother of Enigma Software Group's CEO, who I had over last night, his balls are slim to the point of nonexistence.
      Poor guy, with him having practically no balls it is no wonder he went into scamware publishing.

      --
      Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the (supposed) good of its victims may be the most oppressive
    7. Re:Bleeping Computer has been a big help to all by sabbede · · Score: 1

      Combofix is/was the single greatest cleaning program ever. And it's free. Bleepingcomputer = heroes.

  7. whoo! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    BleepingComputerRapedAndMurderedAYoungGirlIn1990.com

  8. Who is Enigma Software Group (ESG) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Do these idiots have names? Who are they?
    What is their past history?
    How can we "contact" them?

    1. Re:Who is Enigma Software Group (ESG) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Do these idiots have names? Who are they?

      Let me tell you what I've heard about ESG. People are saying Enigma Software Group is run by ISIS. I didn't say that, but other people are saying it. Some very smart people are looking into connections between Enigma Software Group and the ISIS organization.

      How can we "contact" them?

      Nothing you can do, folks. Although the 2nd Amendment people, maybe there is. I don't know.

    2. Re:Who is Enigma Software Group (ESG) by Megol · · Score: 1

      I have also allegedly heard that the Enigma Software Group is run by ISIS and is used to launder money from their slave sex trade. Personally that sounds unlikely but where there's smoke...

  9. You know who else should sue SpyHunter? by Yvan256 · · Score: 1

    Bally Midway

  10. Small child by AndyKron · · Score: 1

    It sounds like Enigma is run by a small child that likes to throw temper tantrums.

    1. Re:Small child by The-Ixian · · Score: 1

      They are run by Congress?

      --
      My eyes reflect the stars and a smile lights up my face.
  11. WHAT?!?! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And here I thought it was going to be about some AI that decided that they were finicially wronged by the Spyhunter video game of yore.

  12. Spyware and Spyhunter is Windows shit. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Who cares? Does it remove FBI from Slashdot posts?

  13. Incompetent lawyers by ChrisMaple · · Score: 1

    "Ripping off" is considered proper and relevant language for a legal filing?

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    Contribute to civilization: ari.aynrand.org/donate
  14. Revoke the corp license to do business. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And send everyone with knowledge of the illegal activities to prison for 30 years.

    They dont because if they did the courts would soon be out of business.

  15. They also stole the name of my favorite arcade by sabbede · · Score: 1

    game of the 80's. What a bag of dicks.

  16. Windows 10 ComboFix by BenJeremy · · Score: 1

    I just want a Windows 10 version of ComboFix.

    Yeah, I realize there are "other tools" but ComboFix was simple, and NEVER burned any PCs I applied it to. It did a very good job of scrubbing those machines clean of the worst, scum-of-the-earth malware imaginable.

    I donates to sUBs back in the day, and I'd contribute more if they'd release a version that worked on the Win 10 and Win 8.1