Hotmail Sues Spammers

Hotmail filed suit in federal court
against eight alleged spammers, claiming that they forged Hotmail’s domain
name into the return addresses of unsolicited commercial and offensive
e-mail messages.

Hotmail said it has a strict anti-spam policy and is a participant in
numerous anti-spam efforts, including the Center for Democracy &
Technology’s monthly ad-hoc meetings in Washington, DC, advising the FTC on
the issue.

Forged return addresses (found in the header of the e-mail message) disguise
the originator’s identity and redirect any angry responses to the unknowing
service provider.

Hotmail, recently acquired by Microsoft, alleged trademark infringement and
dilution, unfair competition, violations of the federal Computer Fraud and
Abuse Act, as well as fraud and libel. The suit seeks unspecified
compensatory and punitive damages.

Defendants are Van$ Money Pie, ALS Enterprises, Inc., LCGM, Inc.,
Christopher Moss d/b/a Genesis Network, Claremont Holdings Ltd., Consumer
Connections (Charlotte, NC), Palmer & Associates (San Diego), and Financial
Research Group (El Cajon, CA). The action, filed in United States District
Court for the Northern District of California, San Jose Division, also asks
the court for a preliminary and permanent injunction against the alleged
spammers.