Yellow Group makes piracy claim

Yellow Group has accused Image Marketing Group of database piracy after it discovered the would-be competitor allegedly sold information culled from the finda.co.nz and yellow.co.nz online directories.

Appearing at the High Court in Auckland yesterday, the directory company, best known for publishing the Yellow Pages, was granted a temporary injunction against Image Marketing Group's continuing trading in the lead up to a full copyright infringement trial.

Image Marketing, which trades as NZ Data, allegedly stole Yellow's directory database, either in whole or in substantial part.

It is unclear how this happened, but it is possible an automated program was created to sweep the internet for Yellow's directory information, and then compile it.

Image Marketing is wholly owned by Brendan Battles, a notorious US spammer who immigrated to New Zealand in 2006 and has been connected with mass unsolicited email and SMS campaigns in this country.

Mr Battles did not appear in court today, and told the court via a fax received on December 8 that he had been unable to secure legal representation.

The interim injunction allows Yellow to demand NZ Data customers to cease and desist from using information provided by NZ Data, but Yellow has not decided yet whether or not it wishes make such demands.

NZ Data sold access to more than 300,000 business to business contacts for $3500 plus GST. 

Since it received a cease and desist request from Yellow in early November, it has reduced that price to $1500 plus GST.

- © Fairfax NZ News