LONDON-Content delivery company MBlox got mired in Crazy Frog’s marsh this week.
The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company was fined $70,000 by U.K. watchdog group Icstis for powering Jamba’s content offerings to wireless users. Hundreds of consumers complained to Icstis about the VeriSign Inc. subsidiary, saying they unwittingly subscribed to an ongoing service after attempting to purchase the Crazy Frog ringtone.
Jamba and its U.S. sister company Jamster have made headlines on both sides of the Atlantic this year as consumer groups blasted the firms for allegedly fraudulent business practices and marketing to minors.
Icstis ordered MBlox to issue refunds to 338 users who bought the Crazy Frog clip. While MBlox said it accepted Icstis’ “adjudication on the appropriateness of the Crazy Frog promotion,” it said the group should target content providers directly.
“Given MBlox’s specialized role in the mobile business value chain, MBlox believes that Icstis should be empowered to regulate the content providers directly,” the company said in a prepared statement.
