Shawn Collins Sues Ebates

[Linda Buquet]

I just found the story in Yahoo News while searching for the latest stories about spyware. Shawn Collins did just file a law suit against Ebates for it's spyware tactics - only it's not 'our' Shawn Collins. This guy is an attorney out of Illinois. Back in Sept 05 Atty Collins helped start a lawsuit against 180 Solutions which the industry also tried to give 'our' Shawn credit for.

Very interesting though that this guy is technically challenged and new to the net. He is focusing his background in environmental law issues and applying to the Internet the same kinds of laws he has used against groundwater polluters and charging spyware purveyors like Ebates with trespassing on personal property.

Pop-up foe targeting trespassers | Chicago Tribune Attorney Shawn Collins employs novel legal twist in federal lawsuits attempting to block spyware from infesting personal computers.

"On Friday, Collins filed his third suit in federal court in Chicago using trespassing laws. He claimed that Ebates Shopping.com Inc. downloaded software onto a client's computer to track his Internet behavior. Ebates is an Internet company that refers people to online retailers in exchange for a commission. Ebates did not respond to questions on Friday.

We attacked it as if someone was coming on your property without your permission," Collins said. And they were "staying there without your permission and doing surveillance on you without your permission."

Go Shawn go!!! What do you guys think?

[KLB]

I love this kind of thinking to take on spyware purveyors. I hope he succeeds.

[Teli]

Reading this made me want to jump out of my bed and do the happy dance! I wish more average Joe's and Jane's would stand up against these companies, but I'm glad that at least one man is

And I love his approach!

~ Teli

[Eminem]

Great to see people caring more and more about Spyware these days. Good job by Collins I should say. However, this isn't the end of this battle and there are several more companies to be caught.

Hope we succeed. Best of luck to Collins.