Like the modern-day equivalents of Jekyll and Hyde, even the most upstanding corporate citizens have alter egos on the Web. Case in point: sites like WalMartSucks.com, sHell
on Earth (a Shell Oil parody) and "Untied Airlines: The Most Unfriendly Skies." The Web may have hit the mainstream as a medium, but copyright law, trademark infringement and
libel aren't yet part of the vernacular. A list of the top online brand abuses, according to Don Middleberg, CEO of Middleberg Euro RSCG:
1. Unauthorized use of logos and images.
2. Search engine tampering - whereby metatags (programming code) are rewritten
to interfere with users' ability to find your company using keyword searches.
3. Software, music and video piracy.
4. Unauthorized sale of consumer goods.
5. Your company's name on a competitor's site.
6. Use of logos or images in a pornographic context.
7. Domain name abuse and parody sites.
8. Gripe sites and negative newsgroup postings. (Middleberg,212/888-6610,
http://www.middleberg.com)