OT: ISP Awarded $1 Billion in Anti-Spam Suit

[Jeff Chan <je...@surbl.org>]

  <http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=738&e=1&u=/ap/20041218/ap_on_hi_te/spam_lawsuit>

> Sat Dec 18, 3:25 PM ET
>       
>        Technology - AP
> 
> DAVENPORT, Iowa - A federal judge has awarded an Internet
> service provider more than $1 billion in what is believed to be
> the largest judgment ever against spammers.
[...]
>  U.S. District Judge Charles R. Wolle filed default judgments
> Friday against three of the defendants under the Federal
> Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and the Iowa
> Ongoing Criminal Conduct Act. 
> 
> AMP Dollar Savings Inc. of Mesa, Ariz., was ordered to pay $720
> million and Cash Link Systems Inc. of Miami, Fla., was ordered
> to pay $360 million. The third company, Florida-based TEI
> Marketing Group, was ordered to pay $140,000. 
[...]
> an Iowa law [...] allows plaintiffs to claim damages of $10 per
> spam message. The judgments were then tripled under RICO. 

Probably the ISP is unlikely to collect much, but this is
certainly a step in the right direction.

Jeff C.
-- 
Jeff Chan
mailto:jeffc@surbl.org
http://www.surbl.org/

Re: ISP Awarded $1 Billion in Anti-Spam Suit

[jdow <jd...@earthlink.net>]

From: "Jeff Chan" <je...@surbl.org>


>
>
<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=738&e=1&u=/ap/20041218/ap_
on_hi_te/spam_lawsuit>
>
> > Sat Dec 18, 3:25 PM ET
> >
> >        Technology - AP
> >
> > DAVENPORT, Iowa - A federal judge has awarded an Internet
> > service provider more than $1 billion in what is believed to be
> > the largest judgment ever against spammers.
> [...]
> >  U.S. District Judge Charles R. Wolle filed default judgments
> > Friday against three of the defendants under the Federal
> > Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and the Iowa
> > Ongoing Criminal Conduct Act.
> >
> > AMP Dollar Savings Inc. of Mesa, Ariz., was ordered to pay $720
> > million and Cash Link Systems Inc. of Miami, Fla., was ordered
> > to pay $360 million. The third company, Florida-based TEI
> > Marketing Group, was ordered to pay $140,000.
> [...]
> > an Iowa law [...] allows plaintiffs to claim damages of $10 per
> > spam message. The judgments were then tripled under RICO.
>
> Probably the ISP is unlikely to collect much, but this is
> certainly a step in the right direction.
>
> Jeff C.

On another paw, Jeff, I hear that spammers are plying the US Congress
with large sums of money and expensive lobbyists to get a rather
watered down Federal law against spam based on the commerce clause.
The law would usurp all state laws. Make sure your Congresscritters
are well aware that their jobs may depend on REALLY stiff anti-spam
laws. Other people can do a "MoveOn.org" or "Vietnam Vets" tear down
a candidate process on the web. Heck, it might be fun to be proactive
and tear down a few Congresscritters who are already known to be soft
on spam.

{^_^}