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Spammer Slapped with $11.2bn Fine
Techtree News Staff, Jan 06, 2006 1556 hrs ISTUS-based ISP - CIS Internet Services, has been awarded $11.2 billion in damages, in a judgement against a spammer...
In a body-blow to spammers, US-based Internet service provider - CIS Internet Services, has been awarded a whopping $11.2 billion in damages, in a judgement against a Florida spammer who allegedly sent millions of unsolicited e-mails to CIS' users.
The latest judgement ruled by US District Judge, Charles R Wolle, on 23 December, 2005, also prohibits spammer McCalla from accessing the Internet for 3 years.
Robert Kramer, owner of CIS, had filed a lawsuit against James McCalla and other defendants in 2003, alleging that over 280 million spam email messages were sent to CIS email accounts. The emails advertised mortgages, debt consolidation services, plus pornographic and gambling Web sites.
Several of the initial defendants named in Kramer's suit, have been dropped in the last couple of years; with judgements totaling over $1 billion issued against Cash Link Systems, AMP Dollar Savings, and TEI Marketing Group.
Kramer said that he is pleased with the latest ruling, and that its a victory for every email user and every responsible ISP. He said that the ruling sets a new standard, and that gross abusers of email risk not only exposure to public ridicule, but also economic death penalty.
Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant, Sophos, welcomed the judgement saying that spam is not just a nuisance for individual computer users, but also for ISPs who are hit in the pocket by having to pay for the band-width to deliver and store hundreds of millions of messages.
However John Mozena, co-founder and vice president, Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial E-mail (CAUCE), expressed the view that Kramer's lawsuit is unlikely to make a significant dent in the spamming problem. He said what is really required is a federal anti-spam law in USA, akin to that in countries like Australia.
The latest judgement ruled by US District Judge, Charles R Wolle, on 23 December, 2005, also prohibits spammer McCalla from accessing the Internet for 3 years.
Robert Kramer, owner of CIS, had filed a lawsuit against James McCalla and other defendants in 2003, alleging that over 280 million spam email messages were sent to CIS email accounts. The emails advertised mortgages, debt consolidation services, plus pornographic and gambling Web sites.
Several of the initial defendants named in Kramer's suit, have been dropped in the last couple of years; with judgements totaling over $1 billion issued against Cash Link Systems, AMP Dollar Savings, and TEI Marketing Group.
Kramer said that he is pleased with the latest ruling, and that its a victory for every email user and every responsible ISP. He said that the ruling sets a new standard, and that gross abusers of email risk not only exposure to public ridicule, but also economic death penalty.
Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant, Sophos, welcomed the judgement saying that spam is not just a nuisance for individual computer users, but also for ISPs who are hit in the pocket by having to pay for the band-width to deliver and store hundreds of millions of messages.
However John Mozena, co-founder and vice president, Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial E-mail (CAUCE), expressed the view that Kramer's lawsuit is unlikely to make a significant dent in the spamming problem. He said what is really required is a federal anti-spam law in USA, akin to that in countries like Australia.
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Sabier
,Hyderabad, on Jan 06, 2006 05:10 PM
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terry h
,Moncton, on Jan 09, 2006 05:10 AM
seccarl
,mumbai, on Jan 07, 2006 12:12 PM
killsSpammers
,Toronto, on Jan 09, 2006 02:02 AM
ruby83
,PJ, on Jan 08, 2006 08:13 PM
Frosty
,Edmonton, AB, on Jan 08, 2006 02:00 PM
Ashok CP
,Chennai., on Jan 08, 2006 12:49 PM
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