Frank-Here's the article about the DA investigation. I don't think it's that big of a deal. But I know that MCAF's CEO is an attorney-and who knows-maybe he went to school with the DA? Larson is still pissed about losing the cheyenne deal.
Waltham, Mass. -- A Northern California District Attorney's office is investigating Symantec[100] Corp. for alleged
misleading statements in advertisements for Norton AntiVirus.
"We are conducting an investigation into Symantec[100] for possible violations of the Business and Professional Code
sections 17500 and 17200 regarding misleading or false statements they [Symantec[100]] may be making regarding
their Norton AntiVirus product," said Mark Jones, chief deputy at the District Attorney's office in Yolo County, Calif.,
which includes Davis, Woodland and West Sacramento. "The possibility that Symantec[100] may be in violation of
these codes came to our attention through our high-tech crime force in Sacramento."
Symantec[100] officials said they had no knowledge of the probe.
This investigation is the latest legal thorn in the side of Symantec[100], based in Cupertino, Calif. Attorneys from
anti-virus competitor McAfee Associates Inc., recently entered discussions with Symantec[100] over what McAfee
lawyers allege are misleading advertisements and claims made on Norton AntiVirus boxes as well as other "grossly
inaccurate and libelous statements regarding McAfee's VirusScan 95 product."
McAfee states that Symantec[100] claims its Norton AntiVirus software can detect all known Word macro viruses.
Last month, McAfee Chief Executive Bill Larson wrote Symantec[100] Chief Executive Gordon Eubanks after
receiving no response to McAfee's claims.
McAfee wanted Symantec[100] to recall all boxes and advertising containing the disputed information, and notify all
known Norton AntiVirus customers of the supposed inaccuracies in its claims and packaging.
Last August, some Symantec[100] shareholders filed a class-action suit against the company alleging the company's
stock value was falsely inflated by misleading advertisements for the Norton AntiVirus, Norton Navigator and Norton
Utilities software. Prior to both the shareholders and McAfee's accusations, the United Kingdom Advertising Standards
Authority censured Symantec's[100] product claims and comparisons in 1995.
Last week, Symantec[100] unveiled its new PC Handyman product, which the company says can solve more than
20,000 PC-related software and hardware problems. The software uses artificial intelligence to predict and analyze
problems and help users find solutions through automated repair, instructional video clips and instructional text, the
company said.
The software also automatically checks the systems for viruses, and other conditions such as low disk space, low
memory and disk errors, the company said. |
