America Online, the worlds largest Internet Service Provider (ISP) today announced it was stepping up its fight against purveyors of unwanted junk computer messages by filing two new lawsuits in Federal Court.
The announcement was made in conjunction with AOL's anti-spam partners Microsoft, EarthLink and Yahoo! - who also announced they filed lawsuits against spammers in courts in Washington State, Georgia, and California.
AOL's lawsuits are noteworthy and unique in nature. The first AOL lawsuit, filed against twenty "John Does", is the Company's very first lawsuit that expressly targets "SPIM" - a term given to unwanted communications sent via instant messaging tools or chat rooms.
The other lawsuit is the very first AOL legal action to target a spammer peddling controlled substances, including Vicodin and other pharmaceuticals, which are legally available only with a via prescription. This lawsuit, filed against ten other "John Does", is also noteworthy because it is the first time AOL is filing a spam lawsuit based on a large number of complaints specifically determined to be from AOL Europe and AOL Canada members.
Randall Boe, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of AOL said,
"These lawsuits demonstrate that AOL's assault on spammers on behalf of our members continues unabated. AOL and our members continue to make spam-fighting a priority, and we continue to use the legal process on their behalf to help put a lid on the worst, most active spammers - no matter where they are, or how they send their unwanted junk.
This means pursuing spammers who are either using new platforms, such as instant messaging or chat rooms, or those who are peddling junk to our members abroad, such as Europe or Canada, or pursuing spammers who are advertising dangerous drugs. Popping a pill prescribed by a spammer is akin to online 'Russian roulette' or online trick-or-treating - you never know what you're going to get, and it could end up being more than just a scary trick."
The round of lawsuits announced today by AOL, Microsoft, EarthLink and Yahoo! is the second time junk email-related enforcement actions have been filed under the new CAN-SPAM Act, which went into effect on January 1st, 2004.
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