POPUP SUIT….As most of you probably know, there are slimy folks out there who install spyware on your computer, track your browsing habits, and then display popup ads when you visit certain sites. L.L. Bean is tired of it and is suing one of the companies that does this:
These advertisers are illegally poaching on L.L. Bean’s trademark,” [Mary Lou Kelley, vice president for E-commerce at L.L. Bean] said. “Using our trademarked name as a trigger to which you want to serve your ads causes customer confusion and crosses the line into trademark infringement.”
The retailers named in the lawsuits contracted with software company Claria Corp., which creates programs to track online habits, Kelley said. These programs then create windows to display specific advertisements when a Web browser visits certain sites.
Offhand, it doesn’t sound like L.L. Bean has a very compelling legal case, but I wish them luck anyway. Outside the box thinking when it comes to popups, spammers, and virus purveyors is to be applauded.
