Wow, I Guess There Is More To Nevada Than Gambling...

Looks like the U.S. District Court in Nevada shut down ERG Ventures, faster than you can say "double-down" at the blackjack table, for distributing malicious software through cheesy screen savers and other downloaded programs.

The FTC filed suit against ERG who also operated under a number of affiliates, including Team Taylor Made...

Judge Howard McKibben issued a temporary restraining order against ERG, and an FTC complaint seeks a permanent injunction against the company.

It turns out our friends at StopBadware.org issued a report against Team Taylor Made back in May of this year.  The report gained a significant amount of news coverage, as TTM's screen saver made it to the top of their "Worst Purveyors" list.  The FTC was already building a case against ERG, and used the StopBadware.org report as an exhibit in its application for a temporary restraining order.

From StopBadware.org's press release:

"The action by the U.S. District Court against ERG Ventures is proof that consumers have an effective voice in the fight against badware," said John Palfrey, co-director of StopBadware.org and executive director of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School.  "StopBadware.org’s report on Team Taylor Made (an ERG affiliate), released in May, and the subsequent news coverage that followed, should have put them on notice.  However, ERG continued to operate deceptively despite our efforts to get them to change their ways."

StopBadware.org's report on Team Taylor Made's "Jessica Simpson Screen Saver" found that program bundles more than a dozen pieces of software, including undisclosed adware, a 'dialer' which automatically dials for-pay porn sites with a modem (if connected), and toolbars that modify the installer’s browser.

"StopBadware.org applauds the FTC for their efforts, as well as the Court’s decision, to put a stop to ERG’s ability to knowingly distribute malicious software to consumers," said Palfrey.

And it if the Court's action wasn't enough, Microsoft announced today that it is also suing ERG. 

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I hate gambling. Its waste of time and money.