In a second round of lawsuits four major US internet
service providers (ISPs) are taking on senders of e-mail spam and
unwanted commercial messages sent via instant
messaging.
Microsoft, America Online (AOL), EarthLink and Yahoo, each filed
new lawsuits in US federal court. The suits in Virginia, Georgia,
California and Washington, charge named and unnamed alleged senders
of spam with violating the federal Can-Spam Act, along with other
state and federal laws.
It is the second time that the ISPs, united in the Anti-Spam
Alliance, are taking legal action against spammers. In March the
companies sued more than 220 alleged spammers responsible for
sending out hundreds of millions of pieces of unsolicited
commercial e-mail.
In the new round of lawsuits, AOL is suing numerous defendants
and seeks damages as well as court orders forcing the alleged spam
senders to give up their profits and cease their activities. One
suit targets spam sent via instant messaging, also known as SPIM,
the first such lawsuit, according to AOL.
AOL and EarthLink are aiming at spammers hawking controlled
substances, including Vicodin and other prescription drugs.
EarthLink's lawsuit also charges numerous unnamed defendants with
sending spam advertising mortgages and loans.
Microsoft is charging one named and two unnamed defendants with
sending millions of e-mails advertising herbal growth supplements,
mortgage services and get-rich-quick schemes. The defendants
allegedly spoofed, or faked, the origin of their e-mail messages to
show it came from Microsoft, AOL, EarthLink or Yahoo accounts.
Yahoo filed suit against East Coast Exotics Entertainment Group
and Epoth, charging the companies with disguising their identity
and sending sexually-explicit messages that were designed to
circumvent spam filters.
By suing top spam senders, the Anti-Spam Alliance members hope
to make the spam business less attractive. Although many senders of
spam are unknown, the group has said in the past that they plan to
use the law enforcement tools available under Can-Spam to identify
the unnamed defendants, and shut them down.
Joris Evers writes for IDG News Service