In recent Google page rank update it is observed that Google has manually penalized the web directories which are selling paid links. Google is not against the web directories listings but don’t want web site directories to sell listing as paid links to manipulate search engine results.
Google has also hit the directories network which is either belong to same owner or few webmasters joined to exchange site wide links within there directories. For example aviva, gii, and many more. Google understand they have manipulated the results of search engine by interlinking with each other. Every thing has been done manually. Matt cutt has also confirmed that in latest October 2007 page rank update paid links has been negatively treated by GoogleWell if really want to come out of these bad links just hire a bad links removal services