Symantec Sues Hotbar Over Adware

In what could become a pivotal courtroom battle against malware, Symantec has filed suit against Hotbar.com, asserting its right to detect and remove components of the software that it considers to be adware. Under the suit, Symantec is not seeking any damages; rather, it is asking the court for a declaratory judgment classifying certain Hotbar program files as adware that should be treated as a security risk.

"By asking the court for clarification on this issue in our favor, we hope to continue alerting our customers about the presence of these program files, protecting them against possible security risks," said Joy Cartun, senior director of legal affairs for Symantec. The case will be heard in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Jose Division. A representative from Hotbar.com could not be reached by press time.