Ad blocking/replacing software...legal?

[jump]

Hi..

I came here expecting to find a topic about this, but was surprised when i didn't. I'm sure everyone who uses the Internet is aware of how obtrusive/annoying online advertising can be. Currently, software exists - such as Adblock Plus - that allows Internet users to block ads entirely.

The way i understand it is, when you request a webpage on the internet you are in fact contacting a number of webservers. Some of those servers have the responsibility of delivering ads. The way the software works is by maintaining a list of ad servers and blocking all requests sent to them. The server never gets a request for the ad, so it never serves it. The software then changes the layout of the page slightly to compensate for the missing ads. The end result is a webpage that doesn't contain any ads and looks like it was never designed to contain any in the first place.

I'm curious as to whether using such software is legal. Leaving aside the ethical issue, (most websites are supported by ads and blocking them would be a sleazy thing to do) what if i decide to pay someone to edit the list of blocked servers, so that i only receive ads for products/services pertaining to my interests. Can i or the person providing that service to me be sued? If yes, on what legal grounds? Is anyone aware of any precedents?

Sorry for my English as its not my first language :blush

 

[Michael Wechsler]

Good question. The issue isn't really as large with ads as it is with browsers. Privately sold software contains it's own list or the user ca choose to add. Not illegal but certainly is a reason many ad supported sites are closing With browsers, I wonder how long and whether there might be a time they are source code protected. But here is one that is worse and not a private user based decision. What if you type in the letters to a web site and the browser first fills in what it thinks (or wants) you mean. Now browsers are starting to have suggested sites when you start typing, perhaps making others obscure - and perhaps at a price.