• August 28, 2001

Believing that the unfair business practices of Gator.com substantially infringe on the trademark, copyright and intellectual property rights of web publishers and advertisers, and do not adequately protect consumers from unauthorized content, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), the voice of the interactive advertising industry, intends to immediately pursue options on behalf of its members with the appropriate federal agencies.

Gator.com is a company that offers a service that results in the deception of consumers and advertisers and interferes with the valid contractual relationships between web publishers and their advertisers. Its service - OfferCompanion, software bundled with digital wallet Gator - contains a feature, Companion Popup Banner, which obscures advertising and/or editorial content on web sites through the use of specially designed pop-up windows and without the consent of web sites or innocent third party advertisers.
Adam Bernard