Advertiser Hall of Shame

Welcome to our "Advertiser Hall of Shame"!  We have added this section to let consumers and web surfers know about companies and businesses that are or have recently been participating in a new "high tech" form of unethical advertising and promotion on the internet. 

We strongly hope that viewers will boycott companies that participate in these kinds of unethical promotional advertising.

These advertising promotional practices are a new form of "high tech stealing" which is causing a great deal of concern in the internet community. This concern is two fold since the technology used can not only "steal" customers off of web sites but it is also a form of spyware which also monitors unsuspecting consumers web surfing habits!

Ezula - TopText

A marketing/promotional company called eZula is using TopText smart links to add unethical advertising promotional links into the body of unsuspecting web sites to "steal and misdirect" potential clients and customers! TopText is a special Internet Explorer plug-in that is added to several other software programs and installed on consumers computers without their full knowledge or authorization and is included in a number of free downloadable software products. It is estimated that over 120 million consumers have downloaded software that includes this plug-in. eZula is billing advertisers 0.15 for each click of these unauthorized links leading to these competitors.

For your convenience we are have also complied a list of 264 known words and phrases which we have identified as being used to steal visitors off of unsuspecting web sites, however eZula states that they have a database of 5,000 words. Here is an excerpt from some of their promotional information. This list will give you a full understanding of the extensiveness & seriousness of the problem since these words are used as active hotlinks all across the web where ever they appear! We are actively expanding this list as we identify new words and phrases and track the advertisers down. If you own a business web site that uses any of these words you could be losing potential clients because each of the words listed are being transformed into links leading to the business listed below.

If you are not sure what these TopText links look like here is an example. If your computer views links that look like the one in our sample then your computer has eZula's TopText installed. eZula is capable of broadcasting these yellow competitor links world wide and is effecting millions of business web sites. If you have seen these types of links and would like to report a company we have a form for reporting unethical links on the bottom of this page.

Gator -- Claria Corporation

Another unethical marketing company is called Gator. Gator has been under a lot of scrutiny because of its unethical advertising practices whereby they literally switch authorized and paid advertising on web sites and replace them with ads of their clients which has also triggered a number of lawsuits. Gator has recently changed it's name to Claria Corporation in an effort to separate it's self from the "spyware" label that it has earned over the years. (For more information on Gator Click here)

Gator has provided advertisements to some major corporations including: 1-800 Flowers, Allstate Insurance, Apple Store, Avon, CapitalOne Mastercard, Chrysler, Columbia House, Disneyland Resort, Dollar Rental Car, Expedia, First Premier Bank, FTD.com, Hooked on Phonics, ING Direct, LoJack, Movielink, Orbitz, Palm, Priceline, Radisson, Rail Europe, Sun Microsystems, Thrifty Rental Cars, Time-Life, Travelocity, uBid, University of Phoenix, Verizon DSL, Western Union Bidpay

Ezula's Unethical Advertising Clients

Looksmart This company is an active partner of eZula and very active! I am giving these guys a Five thumbs down because they are industry leaders and I find it unbelievable that they would particiapte and promote this type of unethical advertising trend and be stealing business from the very same clients who list with them! Keywords: Tickets, Hotel Reservation, Car, Computer, Computers, Tickets, Ticket, Classifieds, Auction, Auctions, Business, Shoe, Shoes, SUV, Motorcycles E-mail: Jforrer@activeweb.com (Jim Forrer) E-mail: tpratt@activeweb.com (Tracy Pratt) E-mail: dklein@looksmart.net (David Klein) E-mail: boris@looksmart.net (Boris Shimanovsky) E-mail: pneuray@looksmart.net (Patricia Neuray)

Charge Com This company is still very active with eZula Next in line for the most unethical web business of the year award - To date we have discovered 17 words & phrases that siphon visitors off unsuspecting web sites! Keywords: credit, small business, debt, e-commerce software, shopping cart software, for merchants, payment processing, online business, small businesses, shopping cart solutions, accept credit cards, online payment, internet merchant account, home based business, starting a business, small business resources, start a business, point of sale mailto:accounts@charge.com

West Wood College This company is still very active with eZula Keywords: arts colleges, arts college, private colleges, computer training (there may be others we have not yet identified) This is a new addition to eZula's program

The following companies had been very active with eZula in the past few months, however, after recent tests in New York it is possible that they have suspendend their affiliation with eZula or are focusing their marketing program in other parts of the country.

ImageCafe (Network Solutions), E-mail: accounting@idnames.com Keywords: Web Design (and other related keywords)

Merriam-Webster Dictionary Keywords:: (various dictionary terms across various Web sites although the terms highlighted are not ads) Comments: Merriam-Webster Dictionary is not advertising with eZula. eZula is using their site to make TopText appear valuable to the user and it seems Merriam-Webster is permitting this action. While Merriam-Webster is not paying for ads, it appears they may be condoning TopText to a degree by appearing to allow eZula to display dictionary terms via their site. We wish that Merriam-Webster would at least inform us that they have contacted eZula to stop using their dictionary as an add-on service for eZula's benefit. This would show us that they do not condone what eZula is doing and it would show us where Merriam-Webster stands on the subject even if eZula refused to honor Merriam-Webster Dictionary's request. Merriam-Webster would also stand to gain positive remarks from the Webmaster community in general. Phone: 413-734-3134 FAX: 413-731-5979 E-mail: suggest@m-w.com

Expedia.com Currently this company had been the reigning King Web Traffic Thieves with 49 words and phrases! As well as two very clear examples of trademark infringement! Keywords: Air travel deals, Airline tickets, Canada vacations, Car rentals, Cruise ships, Cruise travel, Discount airfares, Discount cruises, Discount cruises, Disney vacation, Family vacation packages, Family vacations, Farefinder, France vacation, Golf vacation home, Golf vacation packages, Golf vacations, Hawaii cruises, Hawaii vacations, Hawaiian vacations, Honeymoon cruises, Hotel chains, Hotel deals, Hotel discounts, Hotel rooms, Jamaica vacations, Las Vagas Hilton, Las Vagas hotels, Las Vegas hotel reservations, Las Vegas hotels, Las Vegas vacation, Mexico vacation, Online reservations, Reno hotels, Ski resorts, Ski resorts, Ski vacations, Trave site, Travel agency, Travel bargains, Travel deals, Travel guide, Travel reservations, Travel tours, Vacation destinations, Vacation home, Vacation packages, Vacation rental, Vacation villas.

Computer Language Company, Keywords:: DBM, fire wire, XML, UNIX, ASP, bytes, VBScript, CPU, DHTML, Object Oriented Programming, Visual Basic, dynamic HTML, Router, TCP/IP, ASCII, Parallel Port, VPN, ISDN, http, Proxy Server, and likely many more computer terms E-mail: sales@computerlanguage.com Phone: 1-215-297-8082 Phone: 1-888-815-3772 (toll free)

Bizrate.com No longer working with eZula, This company contacted me to let me know that they dropped their eZula Ad Program! This company had a mixred bag of words & phrases, and was next in line for the throne with 46 words located! Keywords: audio equipment, bedding, gourment food, buyers guide, buys and sells, camping equipment, Car stereo, catalog online., CD players, CD recorders, coffee makers, consumer electronics, consumer products, cookware, department stores, diamnod rings, dinnerware, discount electronics, dish network window treatment, educational software, fresh flowers, garden tools, gift stores, home electronics, houseware, input devices, kichen appliances, mail order, microwave ovens, Operating system, outdoor furniture, outerware, PC games, pet shops binoculars, power tools, pressure cooker, radar detectors hardware stores, sewing machines, silver jewelry, silverware, software, software program, sportsware, tableware, television sets, vacuum cleaners , wholesale electronics,

Network Solutions & VeriSign I am giving these guys a four thumbs down because they are industry leaders and I find it unbelievable that they would particiapte and promote this type of unethical advertising trend and be stealing business from the very same clients who they are hosting! I found many of their links and they have them set up to lead to different targeted pages. Personally I think that any one hosting with them or doing other business with them should threaten to pull all their business based on the overwhelming number of words & phrases they have commandeered. We have identified 20 keyword/phrase Toptext links leading back to their site and the list is still growing! Keywords: hosting, internet, domain, business, search engine submission, name registration, web site submissions, search engine promotion, search engine marketing, web site development, new domain name, free domain name, name registration, domain hosting, email forwarding, web site hosting, build a web site, web address, pop emails, search engine marketing, web based email mailto:websitesales@verisign.com mailto:websitesupport@verisign.com

TermOnly.com, Keywords:: life insurance, long term care, term life insurance, long term care insurance Phone: 1-877-837-6665 (toll free) Phone: 1-888-269-2249 (toll free) E-mail: Info@termonly.com

Nobelcom.com, Keywords:: calling card, international calling, international calling card, international phone card, phone card, prepaid telephone card, prepaid telephone cards, prepaid phone card, prepaid phone cards E-mail: support@nobelcom.com Phone: 1-617-581-6060 Phone: 1-800-986-6235 (toll free) FAX: 1-617-581-6061

1-union-financial-services.com, Keywords:: avoid bankruptcy, bankruptcy alternatives, debt reduction, debt consolidation, debt counseling, debt management, debt management program, debt consolidation quote, debt consolidation services, bill consolidation, credit counseling, credit repair, debt free, debt consolidation specialist, get out of debt E-mail: unionfinancial@excite.com Phone: 1-561-994-7159

Office Max Here's another cutie with 26 words, these guys are big enough that should not need to stoop this low! Keywords: answering machines, appointment books, business cards, business cases, computer monitors, copy paper, printing paper, cordless telephones, desk organizers, shredders, free shipping, gadgets, fax machines, inkjet cartridges, inkjet paper, inkjet, motherboard, networking products, notepads, office equipment., office furniture, office solutions, office supplies, paper punches, paper shredders, photo copier, pocket pc, toner cartridges, touch pads,

MortgageExpo And in third place with 15 verified words & phrases redirecting your visitor traffic! Keywords: refinancing, mortgage, refinance your home, home mortgage, refinancing, mortgage online, home loans, commercial loans, home equity loans, commercial mortgages, second mortgage, mortgage broker, mortgage payment, mortgage insurance, mortgage rates, mortgage calulators FHA loans

Lincoln Equity Research, Keywords: Stock, Stock Market, Investment Phone: 1-714-979-3631 FAX: 1-714-979-0260 E-mail: support@lincolnequity.com

Omnis Web Hosting I am also giving them three thumbs down because they are using a lot of these links and like network solutions above they too are possibly stealing potential clients from the they customers that host with them. They probably have many more and are getting lost in maize of words taken over by VeriSign Keywords: web hosting, domain, domain name registration, info domains, site hosting, hosting services, low cost hosting, cheap hosting, web site traffic mailto: sales@omnis.com mailto: support@omnis.com

Lycos Shame on them -- one of our leading search engines -- misdirecting consumers who search the web!!! Keywords: online shopping, toys and games, shopping apparel, jewelry, sweepstakes, digial camera, holiday shopping, internet shopping, note book computers

Get Smart Keywords: Credit Card Services, credit decision, transfer balances, providian, instant approvals, financing, credit line, consumer credit,

Imagineyourselfdebtfree.com Keywords:debt reduction, debt consolidation, credit cards, charge card

LifeInsurance.net Keywords: Long term care, Insurance Companies, financial planning, term life insurance, longterm care insurance, whole life insurance, life insurance

NetQuote.com Keywords: Car Insurance, homeowners insurance, auto insurance, motorcycle insurance

Annuity.net Keywords: financial services, retirement planning, tax advantages

hotjobs,

www.credit-land.com/

www.e-wizdom.com/

www.oracle.com

www.prosavvy.com/

Based on this news report it looks like Kazaa and eZula might be gearing up for a more aggressive use of the TopText plug-in ad champagnes!

New Kazaa Could Ignite More Controversy
The owner of the widely used Kazaa file-swapping software, Sharman Networks, has launched a significantly expanded version of its controversial P2P (peer-to-peer) application. Additionally, the company has signed an agreement with a European Internet service provider that will actively promote Kazaa. Users have downloaded the previous version of Kazaa about 119 million times, according to Sharman. The program enables users to download digital media files of all kinds from the hard drives of other Kazaa users. Billions of audio, video and other files have been downloaded by users scattered around the world. The new version includes a search tool that allows users to search for ordinary Web pages. P2P industry observers noted that this utility could mean Web surfers will spend more time using Kazaa. In conjunction with the launch of this feature, Sharman Networks will begin selling keywords to Web merchants and others who want to promote their goods and services by displaying them prominently in Web search results. The new Kazaa also includes a playlist tool that enables users to download entire albums as easily as they previously downloaded single songs.
Sept 2002
http://www.ecommercetimes.com/perl/story/19477.html

 

Alert your viewers about spyware with our spyware detection script! Help us raise awareness of the problems of spyware by alerting your website visitors if they have spyware installed on their computers. If we can alert consumers to this problem it will benefit all of us as a whole. Only through awareness will it be possible to eventually stop these unethical marketing practices. If you would like to help us simply add the following remote script to your web site which will alert your viewers and visitors if they have spyware installed on their computers. <script language="JavaScript" src="http://www.unwantedlinks.com/parasite/parasite3.js"> </script> This script can be placed anywhere in the body of your site and remains totally invisible unless it detects at least one of several browser based spyware plug-ins (including TopText). Therefore, the spyware alert will only be viewable to those viewers who have at least one of the identified spyware programs installed at which point it will display an simple text alert letting them know about it. Our script can currently identify 124 different spyware programs. ( For more information and to see a sample click here!) Or feel free to use a copy of our spyware quotes script to help raise awareness which appears in our left panel <script language="JavaScript" src="http://www.unwantedlinks.com/spywarequotes-feed.js" type="text/JavaScript"></script> This script will feed one quote at the exact location it is placed within your site. It rotates a total of 30 random spyware quotes. (This script will display additional random quotes if it is included more than once) You can enclose it in font tags to match your site text. Here is a sample of how it looks.

 

 

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