Kolimbo Network Sends a Message to Badware: Don’t Go Away Mad, Just Go Away

April 26th, 2005 · Comments

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Merchants in KowaBunga! Technologies’ Kolimbo network are receiving a note this week to help in their anti-spyware efforts.

According to the announcement, KowaBunga! has been working with some of their merchants and third parties to help identify spyware within different programs.

One of their merchants, DishPronto.com, has taken the lead in this effort, and they want to encourage the the MYAP powered affiliate programs to consider following that lead.

Essentially, they have added language to their affiliate agreement that not only warns potential spyware affiliates not to join, but offers honest affiliates a bounty — up to the amount of commissions due a spyware affiliate — for evidence that a spyware affiliate is in their program.

Here’s the sample language they are providing for use in affiliate agreements:

SPYWARE AND OTHER PARASITES: Any affiliate suspected of a relationship, formal or informal, with any provider of spyware or parasitic software (as judged by any interference with the operation by design of MERCHANT and/or its partner sites) is subject to punitive actions by MERCHANT, without notice, including but not limited to: suspension of affiliate account; termination of affiliate account; withholding of payments to affiliate; and public notification of affiliate’s suspected malfeasance. MERCHANT encourages affiliates to report suspicions of such relationships; and, should substantial proof, as judged by MERCHANT, be provided, MERCHANT reserves the right to assign a value equal to unpaid monies earned by the offending affiliate (or a part thereof) to the reporting affiliate as a bounty.

KowaBunga! is encouraging all of their merchants to consider trying this method by amending their own affiliate agreements.

If they add the appropriate language to their agreement, the program will be listed as “Anti-Spyware” in the Kolimbo network, meaning affiliates will immediately know their stance on this issue.

Hopefully, affiliates will put their marketing where their mouths are and support the clean programs.

Contact KowaBunga! for more details.

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