Lawyer Calls Zango Case an 'Opening Salvo'

LOS ANGELES — Adult Internet professionals should prepare for a long fight against spyware and adware, according to one of the attorneys bringing suit against Zango Inc. and Various Inc.

Colin Hardacre, associate trial attorney for the Kaufman Law Group, which is representing Epic Cash, spoke with XBIZ about Epic Cash's suit against the adware giant. He said because of the widespread nature of adware and the difficulty of blocking all of it, Epic's case represents only the "first step" in stopping it.

Hardacre said that this case presents the opportunity to send the message to other Internet companies that behavior like Zango's isn't acceptable.

"No one's had the guts to bring a case like this before," said Hardacre, who is associate counsel for the case. "It's an opening salvo."

As of today, Epic's lawyers have filed their lawsuit with the Superior Court of California in Santa Clara County, but they have not yet formally served Zango with the case.

Zango spokesperson Steve Stratz conceded that Zango has had problems in the past with their product, but he defended his company's business practices over the last few years.

Stratz said that his company's homepage, Zango.com, offers users a variety of free content, and that in exchange, they merely have to install a toolbar that delivers relevant advertising.

"We ran into some problems with how our software was distributed," Stratz told XBIZ, noting that users currently must choose to receive any services or advertising from Zango.

Stratz also stressed that one of the chief complaints levied at Zango – that it's too diffucult to remove its software – was "absolutely untrue."

"You just have to use the add-remove program utility in [Microsoft] Windows," he said. In addition he said that his company offers a free uninstall utility. It's located on the Zango customer support page.

But not everyone's convinced. According to online guru Brandon "Fight the Patent," webmasters should know what they're up against when it comes to Zango's software.

"Zango would refer to themselves as adware, since it's advertiser supported, but the user doesn't really know what its doing when they were  installing it." Brandon said.

Brandon added that "jackware" would be the right word for Zango's software, because a competitor can buy advertising with Zango that creates a popup window over an existing window.

Stratz blamed some third-party companies for manipulating the Zango download process to confuse users. In addition, anti-spyware and some security utilities can "break" Zango's software, Stratz said.

Spyware expert Ben Edelman devotes thousands of words on his blog to documenting and exposing online malfeasance, including Zango.

"Spyware has been around since before Zango," Edelman told XBIZ. "But Zango was particularly aggressive in using affiliate programs to claim commission through affiliate programs."

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

UK Lawmaker Calls for Appointment of 'Porn Minister'

Baroness Gabrielle Bertin, the Conservative member of Parliament who recently convened a new anti-pornography task force, is calling for the appointment of a “minister for porn,” according to British news outlet The Guardian.

FSC Toasts Jeffrey Douglas for 30 Years of Service

n the very same evening when the adult industry was hit hard by the Supreme Court ruling supporting Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181, members of the Free Speech Coalition board, staff and supporters gathered to celebrate Jeffrey Douglas’ 30 years as board chair — a fitting reflection of his reputation as an eternal optimist.

TTS Opens UK Testing Location

Talent Testing Service (TTS) has opened a new U.K. location in Ware, Hertfordshire.

FSC: Age-Verification Laws Go Into Effect South Dakota, Georgia, Wyoming on July 1

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has published a statement regarding new age verification laws set to go into effect tomorrow in South Dakota, Georgia, and Wyoming.

FSC Responds to Supreme Court Decision on Texas AV Law

The Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has released a statement responding to last week's Supreme Court decision on FSC v. Paxton, the Texas age verification law.

Sex Work CEO Debuts Upgraded 'GPTease' AI Assistant

Sex Work CEO has introduced the new Canvas in-chat editing feature to its AI-powered, NSFW text generator, GPTease.

UPDATED: Supreme Court Rules Against Adult Industry in Pivotal Texas AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday issued its decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, striking a blow against the online adult industry by ruling in support of Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

North Carolina Passes Extreme Bill Targeting Adult Sites

The North Carolina state legislature this week ratified a bill that would impose new regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

Supreme Court Ruling Due Friday in FSC v. Paxton AV Case

The U.S. Supreme Court will rule on Friday in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, the adult industry trade association's challenge to Texas’ controversial age verification law, HB 1181.

Ofcom: More Porn Providers Commit to Age Assurance Measures

A number of adult content providers operating in the U.K. have confirmed that they plan to introduce age checks in compliance with the Online Safety Act by the July 25 deadline, according to U.K. media regulator Ofcom.

Show More