InfoWorld
Lead with Knowledge
HOME/ SITEMAP
SUBJECT INDEXES
App Development
Broadband
Business Intell.
Business News
Business Strategies
Careers & Mgmt
Collab. Software
Content Mgmt
CRM
Database
E-Business
End-User Apps
End-User Hardware
Enterprise Apps
Ethics
Government
Licensing
Middleware
Mobile Computing
Networking
Online Community
Operating Systems
Processors
Security
Servers
Storage
Telecomm.
Web Services
Web Technologies
Wireless
XSPs
NEWS
CTO ZONE
TEST CENTER
FEATURES
COMMUNITY
OPINIONS
INTERVIEWS
FORUMS
RESEARCH
EVENTS
WEBCASTS
ADVERTISE
ABOUT InfoWorld
Reprints
ABOUT US
About InfoWorld
Services
Advertise
Contact us
Reprint
Employment
WHITE PAPERS

Learn to secure your PCs from new and unknown hacker attacks.

Free IDC White Paper - Discover Secure File Sharing for the Enterpriseattacks.
SEARCH:  
Home  //  Community //  Opinions //  Article
Print Article    Email Article
Window Manager
Brian Livingston
Sue a spammer today

I WROTE LAST week that Windows users can stop spam. Like uninvited faxes, unsolicited commercial e-mail should be against federal law because the recipients pay for spam through higher monthly fees at ISPs, and in many other ways.

Although Austria, Denmark, Finland, Italy, and Germany have legislatively canned spam, Congress hasn't. That's why I'm so pleased to see that ordinary people are beating spammers by using a potent tool -- state laws.

This was brought home recently when I learned that my research director, Ben Livingston, had collected substantial fines from spammers and other human crud. (Despite the same last name, Ben and I are unrelated.)

Ben has so far received more than $2,500 on behalf of a small ISP for which he works part time. He sues spammers, junk faxers, and illegal automated telemarketers in small claims court, which is easy to do without a lawyer. His efforts have also reaped $5,600 still in the collection process.

One of his latest prizes is a settlement from Richard Scott of the Cyberdata group. According to Ben, this group sends out spam saying, "You can have a profit of over $2 million," hyping a CD that supposedly has 200 million e-mail addresses.

Ben has proudly scanned the payment and posted it to his Web site at www.smallclaim.info/cyberdata/check.gif. Work your way back from that address to Ben's home page, where you'll find several pages of inspiring victories. It also links to his zine that describes federal and state laws against intrusive marketing and explains how you can become "a small claims warrior."

Although spam isn't yet a federal offense, the laws of California and Washington state are particularly strong. You can research the laws of your state at www.spamlaws.com/state. As Ben's zine says, "Some may fear legalese, but not the warrior."

Washington law allows people to collect $500 to $1,000 for each received e-mail that uses a false address or a third party's domain name (such as Hotmail.com) without authorization, as most spam does.

Many sites, such as Spamcop.net, help you analyze the source of spam. But Ben simply sues the person at whatever address or phone is advertised in the message. (Or he feigns interest in the product until he receives an address or phone.)

Spammers may ignore small claims courts, so Ben hands his verdicts to collection agencies. They can insert "defaulted on court judgment" into a spammer's permanent credit record. This makes loans hard to get, so many spammers offer a cash settlement even before a case goes to court.

I'm not a litigious person. But spam is quadrupling every year and will drown the Internet.

So I'm looking for 1,000 Windows users to do what Ben's doing. That should make spam unpalatable.

Do yourself and humanity a favor.

Go get 'em.


Send tips to brian@brianlivingston.com. He regrets that he cannot answer individual questions. Go to www.iwsubscribe.com/newsletters to get his Window Manager column and E-Business Secrets e-zine free via e-mail.


MORE >
SUBSCRIBE TO:    E-mail Newsletters  InfoWorld Mobile InfoWorld Magazine
Home  //  Community //  Opinions //  Article Print Article    Email Article
Back to Top
 ADVERTISEMENT
 

SPONSORED LINKS

Get FREE Hurwitz Report: Control Your App Dev Costs with TogetherSoft!
Click here to receive a FREE Success Kit from Oracle.
SPEED, PERSONALIZATION AND INTEGRATION: THE KEY TO E-COMMERCE SUCCESS.
Protect Your Data: Get your FREE Enterprise Backup Intelligence Kit from ADIC.
New HP digital projectors — click now for limited-time introductory offers.

SUBSCRIBE
E-mail Newsletters
InfoWorld Mobile
Print Magazine
Web-based training
ABOUT INFOWORLD  |  SITE MAP  |  EMPLOYMENT  |  PRIVACY  |   CONTACT US

Copyright 2002 InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.