It is often referred to in some software as Adult Male #2.Ī number of sources identify BonziBuddy as spyware, a claim the company disputed.

The voice was called Sydney and taken from an old Lernout & Hauspie Microsoft Speech API 4.0 package. The program also used a text-to-speech voice to interact with the user. Later versions of BonziBuddy in May 2000 featured its own character: Bonzi, the purple gorilla. The software used Microsoft Agent technology similar to Office Assistant, and originally sported Peedy, a green parrot and one of the characters available with Microsoft Agent. takes great pride in its Internet products and strives to maintain high standards in all of its business practices.

believes that it never violated any law with regards to its advertising practices and simply settled to avoid the high cost of litigation,” Bonzi attorney Sara Rizzo said through e-mail. While Bonzi agreed in the settlement to stop using “fake user interfaces” in its advertising, the company maintains it did not engage in illegal advertising. Carstens, an attorney in the same law firm, volunteered to serve as the initial plaintiff in the case after a frustrating 20-minute bout with a Bonzi banner ad, Scott said. Some of those banner ads - which often looked like Windows dialogue boxes - were deceptive, said attorney Darrell Scott of the Washington state firm Lukins & Annis, which brought the suit against Bonzi last November and was seeking class-action status.

Bonzi buddy no virus