United Parcel Service (UPS) is the latest to join a list of
companies suing internet advertising company Gator, according to
media reports. In its lawsuit, which was filed in a district court
in Atlanta, the parcel carrier claims that Gator’s practice of
putting ads on the UPS web site without permission causes “consumer
confusion and complaints.”
Gator’s software manages passwords and fills out application
forms for about 22 million internet users. The company also
produces software that monitors web surfers’ behaviour and delivers
pop-up ads, paid for by Gator’s clients, which can be set to appear
when the surfer is on a rival’s site. The ads are only seen by
those who download Gator’s software.
UPS, which does not run outside advertising on its web site,
says that the Gator pop-ups not only advertised “dating services
and on-line physics”, but also rival company FedEx. It is seeking
unspecified damages and a court order to stop Gator’s practice in
future.
In June, Gator was sued by a group of publishers and media
companies, including The Washington Post, The New York Times, Dow
Jones & Co and Knight Ridder Digital. They claimed that Gator
infringed on their copyrights and trademarks and stole their
revenues by putting unauthorised pop-ups on their web sites.
