Harris Interactive dropped
America Online’s name from a federal
lawsuit Tuesday.
The Harris suit had charged AOL — along with several other ISPs and the
anti-spam organization Mail Abuse
Prevention Systems — with wrongfully blocking it from e-mailing its
registered online users.
An initial press release on Tuesday stated that Harris removed AOL from the
lawsuit after the ISP agreed to allow the online market researcher to resume
e-mail communications with AOL subscribers.
But Harris clarified its statement later Tuesday.
Contrary to its earlier release, Harris said, its decision to drop AOL from
the lawsuit “is not contingent upon any agreement between AOL and Harris
Interactive regarding the delivery of Harris Interactive’s e-mail to its 1.3
million AOL members.” However, Harris Interactive said, it now believes
that it is able to fully communicate with all of its registered respondents
who have AOL e-mail addresses.
The wording of the clarification leaves a mystery whether America Online supports or opposes the MAPS list. The ISP couldn’t be reached for comment.
The announcement comes less than a week after Harris filed suit alleging that it was unfairly placed onto the Mail Abuse Prevention System‘s “Realtime
Blackhole List.”
MAPS, an anti-spam organization, named as a defendant in the suit,
enables its clients to block e-mail from Internet sites that do not follow
its anti-spam policies. The Harris suit, which named AOL, Microsoft, Qwest and other ISPs, sought injunctive
relief and monetary damages to stop the ISPs from using the RBL list to
block its e-mail.
Harris said litigation against remaining defendants in
the case will continue.