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Commission approval of amended complaint: The Commission has approved the filing of an amended complaint in the matter of FTC v. ERG Ventures, LLC et al. In the original complaint filed in October 2006, the FTC charged ERG Ventures, LLC and its principals with secretly downloading multiple malevolent software programs, including spyware, onto millions of consumers’ computers. The FTC's original complaint also charged an ERG Ventures affiliate, Timothy P. Taylor, with deceptively distributing ERG Ventures’ malicious software. The FTC's amended complaint expands the Commission's allegations against defendant Taylor to include a charge of unfair acts or practices in violation of the FTC Act arising from Taylor’s distribution of malicious software.

The Commission vote approving the filing of the amended complaint was 5-0. (FTC File No. X070004, Civ. No. 3:06-CV-00578-HDM-VPL; the staff contact is Ethan Arenson, Bureau of Consumer Protection, 202-326-2204; see press release dated November 13, 2006.)

Copies of the documents mentioned in this release are available from the FTC’s Web site at and from the FTC’s Consumer Response Center, Room 130, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580. Call toll-free: 1-877-FTC-HELP.