Microsoft taking legal action against spammers in the US and UK
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Cool Mod
Joined: Apr 1998
Posts: 6,189
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From: 18nm N of LGW
Microsoft taking legal action against spammers in the US and UK
This report from FoxNews:
REDMOND, Wash. — Microsoft (search) Corp. said Tuesday it has filed 15 lawsuits against people and companies it claims have collectively flooded its systems and customers with more than 2 billion deceptive, unsolicited e-mail messages.
The lawsuits address some of the most misleading, deceptive and offensive spam e-mail received by Microsoft customers, the company said. The lawsuits accuse the companies of violating laws in Washington state and the United Kingdom (search).
Microsoft cited a Washington law that allows Internet service providers to take action against spammers.
"Today's lawsuits are exactly the kinds of action we need to put illegal spammers out of business," said Washington Attorney General Christine Gregoire (search), who joined company officials at a news conference near Microsoft's Redmond headquarters.
In London, Microsoft announced a regional anti-spam initiative that includes two lawsuits alleging the unlawful gathering of e-mail addresses and other practices that violate U.K. law.
Microsoft is seeking court orders to stop the spammers and requests unspecified monetary damages, general counsel Brad Smith said.
Representatives of the companies either could not be located for comment or did not return messages left by The Associated Press Tuesday.
Washington state's anti-spam law bans bulk or commercial e-mail with misleading information in the subject line, invalid reply addresses or disguised transmission paths. It allows for damages of at least $500 per message for individuals and $1,000 for Internet service providers.
Earlier this year, Microsoft sought unsuccessfully to weaken provisions of the law by capping the amount that could be awarded to $25,000 a day, saying it wanted to protect itself and other service providers from people seeking to hold them accountable for spam.
But the hefty financial penalties were among the reasons Microsoft decided to sue under Washington's anti-spam law, said Tim Cranton, Microsoft's senior corporate attorney.
Microsoft's suits follow similar ones filed by rival Internet service providers America Online and EarthLink Inc.
REDMOND, Wash. — Microsoft (search) Corp. said Tuesday it has filed 15 lawsuits against people and companies it claims have collectively flooded its systems and customers with more than 2 billion deceptive, unsolicited e-mail messages.
The lawsuits address some of the most misleading, deceptive and offensive spam e-mail received by Microsoft customers, the company said. The lawsuits accuse the companies of violating laws in Washington state and the United Kingdom (search).
Microsoft cited a Washington law that allows Internet service providers to take action against spammers.
"Today's lawsuits are exactly the kinds of action we need to put illegal spammers out of business," said Washington Attorney General Christine Gregoire (search), who joined company officials at a news conference near Microsoft's Redmond headquarters.
In London, Microsoft announced a regional anti-spam initiative that includes two lawsuits alleging the unlawful gathering of e-mail addresses and other practices that violate U.K. law.
Microsoft is seeking court orders to stop the spammers and requests unspecified monetary damages, general counsel Brad Smith said.
Representatives of the companies either could not be located for comment or did not return messages left by The Associated Press Tuesday.
Washington state's anti-spam law bans bulk or commercial e-mail with misleading information in the subject line, invalid reply addresses or disguised transmission paths. It allows for damages of at least $500 per message for individuals and $1,000 for Internet service providers.
Earlier this year, Microsoft sought unsuccessfully to weaken provisions of the law by capping the amount that could be awarded to $25,000 a day, saying it wanted to protect itself and other service providers from people seeking to hold them accountable for spam.
But the hefty financial penalties were among the reasons Microsoft decided to sue under Washington's anti-spam law, said Tim Cranton, Microsoft's senior corporate attorney.
Microsoft's suits follow similar ones filed by rival Internet service providers America Online and EarthLink Inc.
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 1,003
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From: Geriatrica, UK
Thanks PP. Well, it's a start and better than nothing but the long-term permanent solution is going to be prevention of this rubbish before it is created, not retribution afterwards.
That will, inevitably, lead to some loss of freedom and increase in costs to all of us; including the spammers themselves.
I've got to the point where, if I check e-mail and don't get at least 5, and sometimes 20 spam rubbish messages then I begin to wonder if my equipment is performing properly. (If you know what I mean!
)
So it is a kind of diagnostic tool.
That will, inevitably, lead to some loss of freedom and increase in costs to all of us; including the spammers themselves.
I've got to the point where, if I check e-mail and don't get at least 5, and sometimes 20 spam rubbish messages then I begin to wonder if my equipment is performing properly. (If you know what I mean!
)So it is a kind of diagnostic tool.
Thread Starter
Cool Mod
Joined: Apr 1998
Posts: 6,189
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From: 18nm N of LGW
I am not sure about the relevance of this. But, I have not received any spam since I have been on broadband.
Be interesting to hear if that is now a general experience.
Still get those bl***din pop-ups though! Driving me mad it is
Be interesting to hear if that is now a general experience.
Still get those bl***din pop-ups though! Driving me mad it is
Self Loathing Froggy
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 546
Likes: 2
From: elsewhere
PPRuNe Pop : To avoid those "bl***din pop-ups", just refrain from using M$IE.
Opera (http://www.opera.com), Mozilla Firebird (http://texturizer.net/firebird/) and Netscape 7 (http://www.netscape.com) have a built-in control of pop-ups.
Opera 7.1 has some difficulties with some non-standard javascript (for which I switch to M$IE or Netscape), but, generally speaking, it is a very nice brower. Haven't tested Mozilla Firebird yet.
Opera (http://www.opera.com), Mozilla Firebird (http://texturizer.net/firebird/) and Netscape 7 (http://www.netscape.com) have a built-in control of pop-ups.
Opera 7.1 has some difficulties with some non-standard javascript (for which I switch to M$IE or Netscape), but, generally speaking, it is a very nice brower. Haven't tested Mozilla Firebird yet.
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 1,003
Likes: 0
From: Geriatrica, UK
PP, been on Broadband 6 months and no change here; gradual increase in volume of Spam all the time.
Maybe you changed your e-mail address? Or maybe your Servr is doing a better job than mine (BTOpenworld).
ZoneAlarm Pro kills Pop-ups dead!
Maybe you changed your e-mail address? Or maybe your Servr is doing a better job than mine (BTOpenworld).
ZoneAlarm Pro kills Pop-ups dead!
Plastic PPRuNer
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 1,902
Likes: 0
From: Rochechouart, France
MailWasher bless it gets rid of the trash - been in for a couple of months now and I don't know how I lived without. The extra filters help a lot and so does the autocheck with the Spamcop list. The deluge started about a year ago for me (now running at 1:26 normal:spam) - I wonder what made it reach crit. mass?
McAfee's Internet Security does an excellent job with ads and popups.
I notice that only when spam starts to hurt M$ on it's home turf does it suddenly get all righteous and start doing something about it.
But M$ always figures out a way to turn things to it's advantage - expect them to ram through a new spam resistant MIME/OLE email standard that can only be generated and read by (yep, you guessed it) an M$ OS/mailapp.
Wait for it guys and girls.....
McAfee's Internet Security does an excellent job with ads and popups.
I notice that only when spam starts to hurt M$ on it's home turf does it suddenly get all righteous and start doing something about it.
But M$ always figures out a way to turn things to it's advantage - expect them to ram through a new spam resistant MIME/OLE email standard that can only be generated and read by (yep, you guessed it) an M$ OS/mailapp.
Wait for it guys and girls.....
Thread Starter
Cool Mod
Joined: Apr 1998
Posts: 6,189
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From: 18nm N of LGW
If it's not one thing it's another!
I tooks fobs advice and bought Zone Alarm Pro. A mighty powerful tool. Guess what? All the pop ups have gorn! 
But..............suddenly I am getting another type of pop-up
"Runtime error" "do you wish to de-bug?" What is that? I have heard of it but never seen it - til now.
Any help with this one people's please?
But..............suddenly I am getting another type of pop-up
"Runtime error" "do you wish to de-bug?" What is that? I have heard of it but never seen it - til now.
Any help with this one people's please?
The Oracle
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,902
Likes: 0
From: Naples, Florida U.S.A.
PPRuNe Pop,
A "Runtime Error" is a Windows error. It means the program in question is crashing.
Which Program is causing the error?
Take Care,
Capt. Richard J. Gentil, Pres.
Naples Air Center, Inc.
Custom Computers of Naples, Inc.
A "Runtime Error" is a Windows error. It means the program in question is crashing.
Which Program is causing the error?
Take Care,
Capt. Richard J. Gentil, Pres.
Naples Air Center, Inc.
Custom Computers of Naples, Inc.
The Oracle
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,902
Likes: 0
From: Naples, Florida U.S.A.
PPRuNe Pop,
All three of those Websites are written in Java Script. If you have loaded SP1 you should have JVM from MS Loaded. If not, try updating your WinXP Home to SP1.
If you would like to try a non MS Program, try loading:
Sun Microsystems Java
Take Care,
Richard
All three of those Websites are written in Java Script. If you have loaded SP1 you should have JVM from MS Loaded. If not, try updating your WinXP Home to SP1.
If you would like to try a non MS Program, try loading:
Sun Microsystems Java
Take Care,
Richard
