Gator is so not thrilled to be known as spyware that they're taking it to court, compelling antispyware company PC Pitstop to yank Web pages criticizing Gator and aiming to do likewise to other such critics.
"There is this feeling out there that they won the lawsuit, and people are starting to get scared," said a spyware-removal worker asking CNET not to reveal his name. "We haven't been sued, but we've heard that other companies are being sued for saying this and that, so we've changed our (Website) language."
Gator is known for bundling its application with KaZaA and other peer-to-peer programs, which are often accused as much of being conductors for spyware as of porn. But Gator says the big difference between their application and common spyware is that a user is notified clearly before downloading. The problem is, the distinction between Gator's "adware" and spyware is hazy enough to create the quandary at the heart of the Gator libel actions, CNET said.
Adware critics don't believe such downloads are as clearly stated as Gator claims, with computer users hit with a barrage of popups out of the blue, with no idea where they originate, CNET continued. These critics and those users argue Gator and similar companies collect information without accounting sufficiently for what if anything they do with it.
PC Pitstop offered software ridding computers of spyware and other unwanted code, until they signed a settlement with Gator in late September ending their vehement criticism of Gator on their Website.
