Ben Edelman’s page is a great example of the internet’s enormous “power to the people” potential. Edelman lists the firms producing spyware along with their investors. Check it out. Wikipedia:

Strictly defined, spyware consists of computer software that gathers and reports information about a computer user without the user’s knowledge or consent. More broadly, the term spyware can refer to a wide range of related malware products which fall outside the strict definition of spyware. These products perform many different functions, including the delivery of unrequested advertising (pop-up ads in particular), harvesting private information, re-routing page requests to illegally claim commercial site referral fees, and installing stealth phone dialers.

Clusty fat link: spyware.