Yahoo Settles Suite; States Commitment to Protect Advertisers from Click Fraud

WebKnowHow
Friday, June 30, 2006; 03:23 AM

Yahoo announced that it reached an settlement agreement with Checkmate Strategic Group.  Checkmate Strategic Group had filed a lawsuit alleging that Yahoo has been profiting from fake sales referrals generated through click fraud.

Yahoo will extend its fraud claim review period back to January 2004. Untill now Yahoo reviewed such claims within 60 days. The company will also pay close to $5 million in legal fees.

Yahoo! and Checkmate Strategic Group have been engaged in a class action click fraud lawsuit since June 2005.  In March 2006, Google agreed to pay $90 million to settle a lawsuit alleging the company, along with other web search companies, billed advertisers for false customer leads.

Yahoo said that after the agreement it will provide more clarity about click protection efforts and more transparency to advertisers. Yahoo invited representatives of Checkmate Strategic Group to see Yahoo's proprietary Clickthrough Protection  system in action, interview team members, review  filtering data and determine for themselves whether Yahoo! is truly meeting that commitment.