Gator argues that its ads provide useful information for shoppers who want to compare prices and products. It labels what it does "behavioral marketing." Critics, however, call the company a "parasite" because it siphons ad money from websites that other have constructed. Not only does Gator need other people's websites to exist, but also its program threatens the existence of those sites by taking away some of the income they need to keep running. Critics accuse Gator of unfair competition, and several large American publishing companies with websites have filed suit against Gator to protect their online business interests. Ironically, one of the companies joining the lawsuit is the New York Times, which once used Gator's services to sell subscriptions to people who visited the websites of its competitors.