Three Companies Shut Down For Spyware Bundling

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."

So when will Sony BMG be shut down?

[4r0g]

Obvious case there.

It's all in the name

[nizo]

...Conspy & Co. Inc....

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

Ring Tones

[Anonymous Coward]

I think people downloading obnoxious ringtones got what they deserve...

Re:So when will Sony BMG be shut down?

[AKAImBatman]

Did you miss the last story [slashdot.org] or what? It's still on the front page, so if you hurry you can add your 2 cents. :-)

Re:It's all in the name

[Anonymous Coward]

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

Actually, yes. It's a little known lie that 'sony' is the Japanese word for "mega-evil installer of rootkits".

Re:It's all in the name

[phpm0nkey]

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.

Re:It's all in the name

[FidelCatsro]

The missing letters are surpassingly similar to Iraq phonetically

Re:'bout time...

[Anonymous Coward]

I see the auto-installing IE websearch bars and the "internet optimizer" wares to be some of the most vicious of all spyware.

Hey now, let's be fair. One of those programs was kind enough to let me know my computer was broadcasting an IP address. I installed it and now my comp@##@SSN 709 232 129(*&^^uter is secure.

Three Companies Shutdown For Spyware Bundling

[Anonymous Coward]

So is it Mr Furley or the Ropers thats responsible for this?

Re:It's all in the name

[PaxTech]

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

Re:It's all in the name

[ghoti]

ROTFL, somebody mod this funny, please!

Re:'bout time...

[spooky_nerd]

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.

Re:It's all in the name

[sconeu]

Not to mention their second opinion law firm:

Takeda, Monet, and Runne.

Ok, that was an f-up

[barefootgenius]

I withdraw the previous comment totally and irrevocably while beating myself around the head exclaiming stupid, stupid, stupid!

A barefootgenius is != to genius.