WWW- An Internet company whose software downloaded itself onto computers and dialed up pornographic Web sites while billing $4.99 per minute will forgive at least $17 million in customers’ bills as part of a settlement with the government.

An additional $22 million in bills from Alyon Technologies incurred by customers prior to June 15, 2003, are subject to dismissal if customers dispute them. In exchange, the Federal Trade Commission will stop its investigation of the New Jersey company, which must obtain verifiable consent from customers before billing, let them know of their right to dispute charges and stop downloading programs or spyware to their machines.