Topic: Spammers Ordered to Pay 1 Billion dollars.

[Sirgod]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/12/18/spam.lawsuit.ap/index.html

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) -- 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.

Robert Kramer, whose company provides e-mail service for about 5,000 subscribers in eastern Iowa, filed suit against 300 spammers after his inbound mail servers received up to 10 million spam e-mails a day in 2000, according to court documents.

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, Arizona, was ordered to pay $720 million and Cash Link Systems Inc. of Miami, Florida, was ordered to pay $360 million. The third company, Florida-based TEI Marketing Group, was ordered to pay $140,000.

"It's definitely a victory for all of us that open up our e-mail and find lewd and malicious and fraudulent e-mail in our boxes every day," Kramer said after the ruling.

Kramer's attorney, Kelly Wallace, said he is unlikely to ever collect the judgment, which was made possible by an Iowa law that allows plaintiffs to claim damages of $10 per spam message. The judgments were then tripled under RICO.

"We hope to recover at least his costs," Wallace said.

There were no telephone listings in Arizona and Florida for the any of the three companies. An e-mail sent Saturday to Cash Link Systems went unanswered.

According to court documents, no attorneys for the defendants were present during a bench trial in November. The lawsuit continues against other named defendants.

Laura Atkins, president of SpamCon Foundation, an anti-spamming organization based in Palo Alto, California, said she believed it was the largest judgment ever in an anti-spam lawsuit.

"This is just incredible," she said. "I'm not aware of anything that's been over $100 million."

stephen

[Nemesis]

Now the hard part - collecting.  Hopefully the spammers can't conceal the money and will lose all their ill-gotten gains.  Also hopefully the first of many  such convictions.

[Sirgod]

I hope also It's the first of Many Convictions, However, I expect alot of Tax dollars to be spent In Bankruptsey court. Tax Dollars well spent.

Stephen

[Redshift the Kook]

Wow, this is great news!

[IndyShark]

I think this is very cool.

I think Bill Gates has a good idea on how we can kill spam, or at least most spam. If we were charged a nominal fee for each email, we would have to pay an extra buck or so every month depending on how many emails we sent, but spamming would not be viable anymore.

[Nemesis]

I think this is very cool.

I think Bill Gates has a good idea on how we can kill spam, or at least most spam. If we were charged a nominal fee for each email, we would have to pay an extra buck or so every month depending on how many emails we sent, but spamming would not be viable anymore.

You do realize that he wants to use that to lock you into his  products?  His proposed standards  are covered by Microsoft patents.  He wants to be the tollgate on the internet.  He wants to be the central entity paid for each E-Mail sent.

The major companies and groups involved dumped his proposals and are looking at alternatives that are open.  Not controlled by one company with a history of illegal behaviour.  He isn't going to win on this one.

One OS from the Dark Lord Gates on his dark throne
In the Land of Redmond where the Shadows lie.

One OS to rule Them all,  One OS to find them,
One OS to bring them all, and in the darkness bind Them,

In the Land of Redmond where the Shadows lie."

Seems like a joke but it also appears to be the Gates philosophy.

The more you tighten your grip,
 the more systems will slip through your fingers.

Is more the open source philosophy.

Which philosophy do you prefer?  Bondage or freedom?  Those really are the choices.  On one side Gates and Co own you, your computer and your data.  On the other you own your computer, your data and are free.

[Javora]

Yeah I don't think paying for each Email is the way to go.  Especially since there are ways to handle spam yourself.  I use a junk Email account for just this sort of thing and after each day I empty the account without even looking at what is inside.