Bonzi Software
This article contains controversial content about either a character or software. Even though the creator of the character or software is deemed controversial, it should be clear you should not harass anybody involved in the situation, as it makes problems worse.Reason: Real Life controversy over collecting personal information without permission, plus the distribution of NFTs.
For your safety, please do not download any of their software.
 | |
| Company type | Software |
|---|---|
| Founded | November 1993 |
| Founder(s) |
|
| Defunct? | Yes |
| Headquarters | San Luis Obispo, California |
| Website | http://www.bonzi.com/ (Defunct) |
Bonzi Software, Inc. was an American software company founded by Joe and Jay Bonzi in 1993 that released software made for Windows. They are mainly known for releasing BonziBUDDY, a freeware desktop application that utilized Microsoft Agent Technology.
Founding
Bonzi Software was founded in November of 1993 by Joe and Jay Bonzi for research into technology.[1] Their motive was to improve people's lives by making "yesterday's fiction tomorrow's reality". They claimed to aim for excellence in everything they do including how they run their business and the experience people will have when using their software.
Software developed
1995
- Voice E-Mail 4.0, a program which allows sharing audio files through e-mails.
- Internet Boost 99', a desktop application which claimed to speed up the internet.
- InternetALERT 99', an application which warns the user when their IP is being broadcasted.
1999
- BonziBUDDY, a freeware desktop application that utilized Microsoft Agent technology.
2003
- MaxALERT, an anti-virus program that utilized Microsoft Agent technology.
Characters developed
2000
2003
Controversy
On November 25th, 2002, a Washington state law firm filed a case against Bonzi Software Inc. for deceptive advertisement.[2] The law firm, Lukis and Annis claims that Bonzi Software was showing fake error messages to the user in order to scare them into installing their other products. The Lawsuit was settled on May 28th, 2003, where Bonzi Software was given 30 days to change their ads.[3]
Since the services Bonzi Software offered was collecting the majority of their data from children, it was not long until they received another lawsuit by the Federal Trade Commission on February 18th, 2004, where the company had to pay $75,000 dollars for violating COPPA laws.[4] In 2004, BonziBUDDY was discontinued, with its final version being 4.1. The company lasted a few years after until 2008 when it was finally shutdown for good.
Post-BonziBUDDY Activity
Even after the discontinuation of BonziBUDDY, there were still a few companies that were founded by Joe and Jay Bonzi. One of the few companies that were founded was 2KDirect (now known as iPromote), an advertisement company which helps businesses advertise their products online.[5] The company still operates to this day.
Throughout the years, the original BonziBUDDY domain stayed defunct until 2022, when it soon became a redirect to an OpenSeas profile which sold BonziBUDDY NFTs.[6] This sparked more anger into people as NFTs were heavily criticized back in 2020 to 2022. As of 2026, it is unknown whenever the OpenSeas page is still active.
References
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/19991013021129/http://bonzi.com/company.htm
- ↑ https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna3078514
- ↑ https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna3078629
- ↑ https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2004/02/umg-recordings-inc-pay-400000-bonzi-software-inc-pay-75000-settle-coppa-civil-penalty-charges
- ↑ https://ipromote.com/company/
- ↑ https://opensea.io/BonziBUDDY_Official