[Expat-discuss] Re: Expat.dll red-flagged by Spy Sweeper.

[Erik Hermansen]

If you have software which uses libexpat.dll (Win32), would you consider 
sending a complaint e-mail to Webroot, makers of Spy Sweeper software.  I 
have asked them twice in the last month to update their definitions files 
such that libexpat.dll is NOT red-flagged as spyware.  This seems to be a 
common mistake, and I've already convinced two other companies to fix this 
problem by changing their software, but Webroot isn't doing anything at 
this point.  Below is a copy of the letter I sent to Webroot, if you wish 
to use it to write your own complaint.  It is important that companies like 
webroot take responsibility for the problems they cause to software 
developers.  E-mail to info at webroot.com and support at webroot.com.

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To:         support at webroot.com,info at webroot.com
From:     "Erik Hermansen" <erikh2000 at yahoo.com>
Subject:  False positive on Spy Sweeper/libexpat.dll.

Hi!

I wrote some software that uses the popular, open source library 
Expat.  I've released the software to many download sites and now I'm 
getting reports from users that libexpat.dll contains adware or 
spyware.  At first glance, this looks like a mistake in the Spy Sweeper 
software.  Apparently your software sees this library as an element of 
"Apropos", but my software doesn't distribute this piece at all--only 
libexpat.dll, which should not contain any objectionable code.  This bug 
was confirmed today in version 3.0.0 (build 118) using Spyware Definitions 365.

Note also that PestPatrol and Lavasoft's Ad-Aware used to make the same 
complaints about libexpat.dll that Spy Sweeper does.  When I told them 
about this, they changed their product to exclude libexpat warnings.  If 
their perspective is useful, you may wish to contact Aaron Hulett at 
Lavasoft (<mailto:general at lavasoft.de>general at lavasoft.de) or David Stang 
at PestPatrol (dstang at pestpatrol.com).

-Erik