Gator-IAB Fight Gets Interesting
from the sue!--sue!--sue! dept
Remember a week and a half ago that whole mess about Gator putting their own ads on top of other ads? Well, the Interactive Advertising Bureau didn't take too kindly to that. They talked to Gator about the issue last week, and when talks broke down, they put out a statement this morning saying that Gator breaks the law in doing what they do. Gator, which seems like a proactive sort of company anyway, has struck back by suing the IAB for "unfounded accusations and threats". I think it would be fun (and only fair) if the IAB was allowed to shout down Gator's arguments in court while Gator's lawyers were presenting arguments. It would make an effective demonstration of what Gator is doing to online advertisers.
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The Wrong Reasons
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Is this really a net specific issue?
A sticky issue to be sure...
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Re: Is this really a net specific issue?
I think that all is fair game as long as it's under the control of the viewer. Nobody questions my right to flip channels or mute the volume or push the image into a P-in-P window. Cable companies have very limited rights to insert ads, I believe, in regular commercial slots, but always based on a contract with the broadcaster. Those principles seem just as valid on the web: as an end user, I can install whatever browser software or plug-in I want, including ad filters, but nobody else, like an ISP can make any changes to content as it is delivered to me.
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