Claims made by a rival to Yahoo China suggested the Yahoo Toolbar posed a security risk to users, and merited immediate removal.
Yahoo China was naturally displeased by the actions of Qihoo.com, and pressed the issue in a legal fashion. A report on Yahoo News said Yahoo China prevailed against Qihoo’s claims.
A Beijing court decreed Qihoo had engaged in “unfair competition,” which means they will have to clarify their statements about the Yahoo toolbar. Qihoo also has to pay up to cover Yahoo’s legal expenses and damages.
However, Reuters noted Qihoo’s ownership, Beijing Sanjiwuxian Internet Technology, will appeal that verdict.
An ex-Yahoo staffer, Zhou Hongyi, runs Qihoo. The problems with Yahoo began with some Qihoo software:
Yahoo China’s suit had claimed that Qihoo’s 360safe software prompted users to uninstall the Yahoo Toolbar by making users believe the toolbar was “malware”-software that users download unknowingly and is difficult to remove.
Mr. Zhou left (Yahoo China) shortly after it was announced last year that Alibaba would take over Yahoo’s Chinese operations.
Although the Yahoo Toolbar is not a threat to China’s users, some may note Yahoo still poses a concern for certain citizens. Reporters Without Borders has been a frequent critic of Yahoo and its role in the imprisonment of three journalists in the country.
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David Utter is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business.
