Sharman Networks Ltd., which distributes Kazaa, disputed the report. However, none of the four violated 's guidelines against hurting other computers, and only one, Waterfalls 3, transmits private data to other sources, the group said. Three of the four applications have deceptive installation mechanisms, three modify other software on the user's computer and three are difficult to uninstall completely, according to the report.

will lead the providers of applications to operate more openly and more transparently.' 'The longer-term goal is we hope that these reports. in giving consumers more control and giving them more information before they do something that could be damaging to their computers,' Palfrey said. While the group eventually hopes to identify dozens of applications, these four generated significant complaints to, he said.

The four applications 'clearly violated' guidelines from, said John Palfrey, co-director of and executive director of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School. company Net Publican Ltd., and Waterfalls 3, a screensaver distributed at, as badware. Besides Kazaa and SpyAxe, named MediaPipe, a download manager produced by U.K.

, in its first report since forming in January, identified SpyAxe, a program advertised as a spyware blocker, as badware, the group's term for spyware, viruses, deceptive adware and other nefarious software. The popular Kazaa P2P (peer-to-peer) file-trading software and a supposed spyware-blocking application are among the first four programs identified as 'badware' by the fledgling group in a report released Wednesday.

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