Contents  > Society  > Issues  > Business  > Allegedly Unethical Firms  > Ezula

Ethics in Advertising Editorial asking "How far should advertising go?" Examines eZula's browser plug in as a specific example of unethical advertising. http://www.rubak.com/article.cfm?ID=13

eZula and Surf+ Script Killer Provides a script killer for the eZula software. Also works on Surf+. http://www.searchking.com/ezulakiller/

Foistware Information to help users and webmasters identify when Top Text is installed. http://www.cexx.org/toptext.htm

geek/talk Forums at GeekVillage Discussion about the eZula TopText defacement in the context of copyright violation. http://www.geekvillage.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=12175

PetitionOnline: eZula Petition protesting insertion of advertising links on web pages. http://www.petitiononline.com/toptext/

Protect Your Web Site from Unwanted Linking Explains how the eZula system works and provides resources that allow users to remove it and to help web site owners protect their sites from unwanted advertising insertion. http://www.unwantedlinks.com/

StopScum Resources, news and forums for the fight against contextual advertising. http://www.stopscum.com/

ThiefWare.com Information and resources primarily for webmasters who wish to fight unethical contextual advertising. http://www.thiefware.com/

TrafficG Yellow and Green Link Killer Provides script to disable Top Text and Surf+. Documents source code alterations made by these programs. http://www.trafficg.com/scumware/index.htm

WebHostingTalk Forums: KaZaa is Hijacking Traffic! Webmasters and surfers, mostly disapproving of the embedded advertising links. http://www.webhostingtalk.com/showthread.php?threadid=18027&perpage=20&pagenumber=1

Whirly Wiry Web: Fighting Ezula Discussion of web design to detect and defeat contextual advertising, including recognizing the HotText and TopText plugins. http://www.whirlywiryweb.com/q/ezula.asp

You got the yellow linking Virus? Gives information on how to remove/unistall TopText, and links to other more detailed resources. http://www.funs.co.uk/virus/

c|net Tech News: Chorus of Gator critics grows Article on Interactive Advertising Bureau's possible regulatory complaint over Gator's ad insertion. Also discusses Top Text and the effort against it. (August 27, 2001) http://news.cnet.com/2100-1023-272244.html

San Diego Daily Transcript: 'Poachware' Routes Computer Users To Alternate Web Sites Article about anti-competitive involuntary hyperlinks being placed by Top Text (aka ContextPro). (August 27, 2001) http://www.sddt.com/Search/article.cfm?SourceCode=20010827tba

Associate Programs Newsletter: How to stop Scumware from defacing your website Explains how Top Text and similar programs can negatively affect income streams, particularly for sites that use affiliate programs. (August 23, 2001) http://www.associateprograms.com/search/newsletter173.shtml

Search Engine Watch: Forget Smart Tags; TopText Is Doing What You Feared Editorial decrying stealth download tactics, copyright and other legal violations. (August 22, 2001) http://searchenginewatch.com/showPage.html?page=2164091

Applelinks: Another New Technology to Deep-Six Editorial suggesting "loud, pointed, organized protests" against this attempt to "take over your web pages." (August 3, 2001) http://www.applelinks.com/articles/2001/08/20010803142336.shtml

PCWorld: Latest Online Ad Gimmick: Hyperlinks "Advertisers try aggressive (and annoying) hyperlink technology to make the Web pay." (August 3, 2001) http://www.pcworld.com/article/57064/latest_online_ad_gimmick_hyperlinks.html

c|net Tech News: Peer-to-peer exchanges court advertisers Article describing the financial arrangements, briefly mentioning the controversy. (August 2, 2001) http://news.cnet.com/2100-1023-271020.html

COTSE: You may have heard of Microsoft Smart Tags, but have you seen Ezula and Surf+? A webmaster's editorial accusing TopText and Intelsoft International's Surf+ of theft, false advertising, and deceptive self-promotion. (August 2, 2001) http://www.cotse.com/8202001.html

Salon.com: The parasite economy Examines the spread of both "spyware" and programs that add commercial links to websites. KaZaa's distribution of eZula is heavily featured. (August 2, 2001) http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2001/08/02/parasite_capital/index.html

Slashdot: Don't Eat the Yellow Links Web owners upset by changed content; describes an "opt-out" procedure. (July 31, 2001) http://slashdot.org/features/01/07/31/2015216.shtml

Mystery links: New Web advertising tool gets results, draws criticism San Francisco Chronicle: mentions concerns about the ethics of covert advertising, and commercial firms outraged by links to competitors' sites. (July 30, 2001) http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2001/07/30/BU231339.DTL