Free Parental Control Software from Actiontec Blocks Objectionable Websites, Including Music Download Sites; 'Kid Defender Lite' Protects Families against Music Piracy Lawsuits

Business Wire, Sept 24, 2003

Business Editors

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 24, 2003

Actiontec Electronics today announced a free version of its Kid Defender software that will enable parents to block their children's access to objectionable or undesirable websites, including popular music download sites like Kazaa that can put a family at risk for music piracy lawsuits. The new Kid Defender Lite product is available as a free download at www.kiddefender.com or on a CD-ROM for a $5.95 shipping and handling fee.

Actiontec released the product in the wake of lawsuits filed earlier this month by the Recording Industry Association of America against 261 individuals, including a 12-year-old New York honors student, for potential illegal music downloading. The trade group asked the court to impose penalties of as much as $150,000 per downloaded song and has threatened additional legal action in an attempt to stem the three-year decline in global recorded music sales.

Kid Defender Lite is the first standalone Internet filtering program available to parents at no charge. MSN and AOL have optional parental control features that can be used to restrict children's access to music downloading sites, but only subscribers can use those services.

"We created a free version of our Kid Defender program specifically to help parents protect themselves and their families against potential lawsuits that might be triggered by their children's online music swapping," said Dean Chang, President and CEO of Actiontec Electronics. "With Kid Defender Lite, parents can ensure that the recording industry has no grounds to sue them and keep children away from inappropriate Internet content at the same time -- all at no cost."

Kid Defender Lite offers virtually all of the functionality of the full Kid Defender program except for real-time monitoring of children's website visits, instant message conversations and chat room sessions.

The free version includes a recommended website blacklist; the ability to add or subtract blocked sites as well as create a list of blocked instant message addresses; the option to permit access only to a specific "white list" of websites and users; and the ability to view a daily archive of all web pages visited and transcripts of all instant message and chat room conversations from the child's computer. It also can be configured to block access to the major music download sites, including Kazaa, Morpheus, iMesh, BearShare and LimeWire.

The paid version of Kid Defender adds unique functionality enabling parents to supervise their children's IM, chat and Internet browsing activities in real time and kick potentially dangerous correspondents or objectionable URLs offline with a click. All activity taking place on the child's computer is displayed line by line and site by site on a special screen on the parent's PC, whether the parent is at home, at work or on the road. In addition, parents can view their children's daily activity logs on their own PCs and hold real-time online conversations with their children to offer advice or discuss specific websites or chat threads.

Kid Defender is available on CD for $39.95, including a one-year subscription for real-time monitoring with no separate software charge. It supports two parents and two children. Real-time monitoring licenses for additional children cost $9.95 per child per year. Subscription extensions for the boxed version are $39.95 per year. Parents may also try the program for free for 30 days.

For more information, visit www.kiddefender.com.

About Actiontec

Actiontec Electronics, Inc. is a leading supplier of broadband and analog devices designed to facilitate or leverage Internet access, including the industry's first call waiting modems, DSL modems, cable/DSL routers, Internet telephony products and wireless home networking kits. Kid Defender, the first real-time Internet control software for parents, continues the company's focus on products that optimize Internet use. Actiontec products have earned Best of Show at Retail Xchange, Editors Choice awards from CNET's computers.com and homePCnetwork.com, and Top 100 Products of the Year from Computer Shopper. Actiontec products are distributed through mass market retailers, Actiontec's online store, and private label and Tier 1 OEM relationships. The company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA, and maintains branch offices in Austin, TX; Colorado Springs, CO; Reading, United Kingdom; China and Taiwan. For more information, phone 408-752-7700, fax 408-541-9003, or visit http://www.actiontec.com.

Actiontec and the Actiontec logo are trademarks of Actiontec Electronics, Inc. All other product names and trademarks are the property of their respective holders.