Adware firm Direct Revenue, hoping to build a better reputation, is forswearing pop-up ads and is instead building a behavioral marketing network, to be launched in 1Q06, as Claria has done, reports ClickZ. It is developing a new adware product that will be compliant with TRUSTe's recently announced Trusted Download effort and will build a user base from the ground up.

The behavioral network will use data collected by the new software to target advertising on publishers' sites - similar to Claria's BehaviorLink.

Direct Revenue plans to initially work with software developer distribution partners that also have website advertising inventory to offer. It expects to do CPM, CPC and CPA deals, depending on the advertiser and the offer.

CEO Jean Philippe Maheu, formerly CEO of Razorfish, joined Direct Revenue in May and has been trying to remake it into a legitimate online advertising player. In September, for example, it ended third-party affiliate distribution of its adware client.