MySpace gets $ 6 mn in lawsuit against alleged spammer
MySpace can collect USD 6 million from a notorious Internet marketer accused by the popular online hangout of spamming its users.
By Agencies |
BOSTON: MySpace can collect USD 6 million from a notorious Internet marketer accused by the popular online hangout of spamming its users.
An arbitrator has ruled that Scott Richter and his Web marketing company, Media Breakaway LLC of Westminster, Colorado, must pay MySpace USD 4.8 million in damages and USD 1.2 million in attorney's fees for barraging MySpace members with unsolicited advertisements. Media Breakaway and its employees were also banned from the site.
MySpace, a unit of News Corp, had alleged that some of the messages were sent from accounts whose sign-on information had been hijacked by "phishing." Media Breakaway countered that rogue business affiliates, independent contractors who sent messages for Media Breakaway, were to blame for phishing and other improper behaviour.
In a statement, Media Breakaway celebrated the fact that the arbitrator had awarded MySpace "95 per cent less than the amount demanded" by the company.
Indeed, Thursday's arbitration ruling pales next to a USD 230 million verdict MySpace won in US District Court last month against two Internet marketers, Sanford Wallace and Walter Rines. Nonetheless, MySpace hopes the Richter case will increase the pressure it has been trying to place on spammers.
"MySpace has essentially declared a war on spam and phishing on our site," Hemanshu Nigam, MySpace's chief security officer, said in an interview.
Richter is a familiar figure in such matters. Microsoft Corp won a USD 7 million settlement against him in a spam lawsuit in 2005, and the state of New York got USD 50,000 from Richter the year before.
An arbitrator has ruled that Scott Richter and his Web marketing company, Media Breakaway LLC of Westminster, Colorado, must pay MySpace USD 4.8 million in damages and USD 1.2 million in attorney's fees for barraging MySpace members with unsolicited advertisements. Media Breakaway and its employees were also banned from the site.
MySpace, a unit of News Corp, had alleged that some of the messages were sent from accounts whose sign-on information had been hijacked by "phishing." Media Breakaway countered that rogue business affiliates, independent contractors who sent messages for Media Breakaway, were to blame for phishing and other improper behaviour.
In a statement, Media Breakaway celebrated the fact that the arbitrator had awarded MySpace "95 per cent less than the amount demanded" by the company.
Indeed, Thursday's arbitration ruling pales next to a USD 230 million verdict MySpace won in US District Court last month against two Internet marketers, Sanford Wallace and Walter Rines. Nonetheless, MySpace hopes the Richter case will increase the pressure it has been trying to place on spammers.
"MySpace has essentially declared a war on spam and phishing on our site," Hemanshu Nigam, MySpace's chief security officer, said in an interview.
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Richter is a familiar figure in such matters. Microsoft Corp won a USD 7 million settlement against him in a spam lawsuit in 2005, and the state of New York got USD 50,000 from Richter the year before.
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