WebProNews

A lawsuit filed in New York City accuses Los Angeles-based Intermix Media of being a major spyware distributor.

After a six month investigation into the practice of secretly installing advertising software on personal computers, the Attorney General's office filed suit against Intermix.

"Spyware and adware are more than an annoyance," Mr. Spitzer said. "These fraudulent programs foul machines, undermine productivity and in many cases frustrate consumers' efforts to remove them from their computers. These issues can serve to be a hindrance to the growth of e-commerce."

Mr. Spitzer's office found ten separate web sites where Intermix secretly downloaded spyware onto machines. Intermix is alleged to have made the removal process very difficult by hiding its programs on a computer and making them immune to a typical Windows PC Add/Remove Program function.

The suit seeks an injunction stopping Intermix from installing spyware, an accounting of revenue made from this spyware, and payment of penalties.

David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business. Email him here.