Gator mutation Claria files for IPO

Found on ZD Net on Friday, 09 April 2004
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Advertising software company Claria, formerly known as Gator, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday to go public, in a sign of further momentum for Internet IPOs.

Claria, whose advertising platform (or adware) has come under legal fire from multiple Web site operators, filed an S-1 document with the SEC, seeking to raise an unspecified sum through an initial public offering. According to its filing, the company said it had a net income of about $35 million on revenue of $90 million in 2003.

Claria said that it has 43 million people active on its ad network. The company has eight offices in the United States and Europe.

Claria is fighting many battles in court over its practices.

For example, a European court recently issued a preliminary injunction against Claria that prohibits the company's pop-up and pop-under ads from appearing over German rental car Web site Hertz Autovermietung without the agency's permission.

New name, same company. Claria will quickly have its old Gator reputation back if they don't change their business modell drastically. Spyware/Adware doesn't change, no matter what label you slap on it.