ISP wins $1 billion in spam suit
Tarkus
ISP wins $1 billion in spam suit
Published: December 19, 2004, 6:45 PM PST
By CNET News.com Staff
An Internet service provider in Iowa has been awarded more than $1
billion in what is believed to be the largest lawsuit judgment ever
against spammers.
Robert Kramer, whose CIS Internet Services provides e-mail service for
about 5,000 subscribers, filed suit against 300 spammers after his
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 of Mesa, Ariz., was ordered to pay $720 million and
Cash Link Systems of Miami 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
told the Associated Press 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.
--
"I may be bad...but I feel gooood."
Vincent Rachele
new name?
Until they start doing hard jail time I doubt uncollectable judgements are
going to work.
"Tarkus" <karn...@beer.com> wrote in message
news:1bj46fhe...@tarkus.karnevil9.com...