IP: America Online Announces "AOL'S 10 Most Wanted Spammer List"

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

From: jspira () basex com


Dave,


I would suspect that IP readers might find this to be of interest.


Best.


/s/ Jonathan


Jonathan B Spira                    E-mail jspira () basex com
The Basex Group, Inc                URL http://www.basex.com
15 E 26th Street                    Tel +1 (212) 725-2600 x113
New York, NY 10010 USA              Facsimile +1 (212) 532-5406
======================================================================
   DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 5, 1998--
AOL Files Suit Against Pornographic "Spammer" For Using Its Trade Name
     Company Announces Progress in Two Other Spam Cases in Ongoing
         Fight to Protect Members Against Unsolicited E-Mail
   Today, America Online, Inc., announced a new, more aggressive
campaign against unsolicited e-mail, or "spam."  Continuing its
battle on behalf of its members, the Company also warned that it may
seek federal legislation to put spammers out of the business.
   In a speech before the Jupiter Consumer Online Conference on
Thursday, America Online CEO Steve Case took spammers to task and
announced "AOL's 10 Most Wanted Spammer List," which included
Lovetoys Online, the Notoriously Nasty Spammer, PlanetLovejoy and
loseweight.org.  He said the Company would build a case against each
one and pursue them in court where possible.
   "Like the online consumer, we're fed up with spam.  We are
adopting a block and tackle strategy against spammers.  That is,
we're going to block as many of their e-mails at the gateway as we
can, and we're going to tackle them in court," Case warned.
   "The spammers on our '10 Most Wanted' list represent a severe
impediment to the growth of the medium and are causing a significant
depreciation of the experience for the average consumer.  We look
forward to taking them on one at a time."
   AOL filed suit against a company it charged with using the AOL
and AOL.com trade names on a series of pornographic Web sites, as
well as in spam sent to AOL members promoting the sites.
   The Company also announced that it had obtained a judgment in its
anti-spam lawsuit against Prime Data Worldnet Systems, Inc., and its
proprietor, Vernon N. Hale.
   In addition, the Company said that another spam defendant,
Squeaky Clean Marketing, had agreed to a permanent injunction which
will bar Squeaky Clean Marketing from ever e-mailing AOL members
again.
   AOL has been fighting spam for many months by giving its members
tools to better control the e-mail they receive, providing an area
online devoted to educating members about unsolicited e-mail at KW:
Junk Mail and by sending more than 500 cease and desist letters to
spammers and following up with lawsuits against many of them.
AOL's New Anti-Spam Lawsuit
   On Monday, AOL filed suit in the U.S.  District Court for the
Eastern District of Virginia charging Eddie Davidson and his two
firms, Web Communications and Sex Web, Inc., with violations of the
federal copyright statute, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and the


Virginia Computer Crimes Act.
   The suit alleges that Davidson and his two firms unlawfully
transacted business under names like AOLsex.com.
   In addition, the suit seeks damages and an injunction barring
Davidson and the two companies from continuing the transmission of
unsolicited e-mails to AOL members promoting sexually explicit Web
sites.
   More specifically, AOL charged that the defendants violated
federal and Virginia state law by using the Company's trademark,
copying the design of its AOL.com Web site and falsely including the
Company's domain name in return addresses in order to make it appear
that the site and solicitations were sponsored or approved by AOL.
   The Company said Davidson and his two firms also knowingly sent
unsolicited bulk e-mail to AOL using deceptive practices designed to
circumvent AOL's mail controls and to hide the source from which they
were being mailed.
   George Vradenburg, senior vice president and General Counsel of
America Online, Inc., said: "The conduct of these defendants has been
nothing short of outrageous.
   "They have been actively engaged in transmitting millions of
unsolicited, unwanted e-mails advertising pornographic Web sites
without regard to the age of their recipients.
   "As if that were not bad enough, they have deliberately exploited
AOL's name in a manner calculated to suggest that AOL somehow
endorsed their pornographic Web sites, when nothing could be further
from the truth."
Progress in the Prime Data Worldnet and Squeaky Clean Marketing Cases
   A federal court has entered judgment for AOL in its lawsuit
against Vernon Hale and his spam company, Prime Data Worldnet, after
Hale and his company failed to contest AOL's charges.
   The default judgment awarded to AOL comes after AOL filed suit on
October 17, 1997 charging that Prime Data Worldnet and Hale, violated
federal and Virginia state law by sending AOL members unsolicited
e-mails promoting "get-rich" schemes.  The judgment will bar Hale
and Prime Data Worldnet from sending junk e-mail to AOL members.
   AOL also announced that it had successfully concluded its suit
(filed on December 18, 1997) against spammers Squeaky Clean Marketing
and Cyber Services, both based in Dallas, Georgia.
   Both companies had been sending large quantities of junk e-mail
to AOL members, promoting products ranging from baldness cures to
get-rich-quick schemes, as well as do it yourself spamming software
to enable other users to send their own junk e-mail.
   The volume of e-mail being sent by Squeaky Clean and Cyber
Service resulted in thousands of AOL member complaints.
   While the terms of the settlement are confidential, AOL said that
the spammers had agreed to an injunction that will bar them from ever
sending e-mail to AOL members again, as well as the payment of an
undisclosed sum of damages.
   America Online, Inc., (NYSE:AOL) based in Dulles, is the world's
leader in branded interactive services and content.  America Online
operates two worldwide Internet online services: AOL, with more than
11 million members; and CompuServe, with more than 2 million members.
   America Online also operates AOL Studios, the world's leading


creator of original interactive content.  Other branded Internet
services operated by America Online include AOL.COM, the world's most
accessed Web site from home; AOL Instant Messenger, allowing instant
communication with all Internet users; and AOL NetFind, AOL's
comprehensive guide to the Internet.
   Please note the attached "AOL's 10 Most Wanted Spammer List."
*T
"AOL's 10 Most Wanted Spammer List"
   The following is a list of spammers who have persisted in sending
junk e-mail to AOL members despite AOL's demands that they stop.
1.  The "Notoriously Nasty" Spammer         (Pornography)
    http://38.185.64.2,"; "http://38.185.35.4,"; "http://38.185.64.4,
http://206.171.95.136/orangboy
    http://206.171.95.136/orangboy"; and
    "http://207.213.114.253/ 7/8mcorcoran/enter.html. Location: Unknown
Sample Text of E-mail: 
    Location:  Unknown
    Sample Text of E-mail:  "FREE - Over 7400 Adult Sites you can access
    with just one password."
2.  The LoseWeight Center               (Non Porn)
    http://www.loseweight.org
    Location:  Westerville, OH
    These spammers allege that they can help you "Succeed in Achieving
    your No. 1 Resolution!"  The LoseWeight Center advertises
    "Homeopathic Medicinal Nutraceuticals" in their spam and they
    state that the products come "with a 60 day no-risk money-back
    guarantee!"
    Interesting Info:  When we tried to get in touch with
    the LoseWeight Center, our FedEx was returned "business closed."
3.  Lovetoys Productions            (Pornography)
    http://www.lovetoysonline.com
    Location:  Boca Raton, FL
    This spammer forges the "aol.com" domain name.
    Sample Text of E-mail:  "FREE ADULT VIDEO WITH ANY PURCHASE!!!"
4.  CN Productions               (Pornography)
    http://www.fantasiesinc.com, http://www.pamsplayhouse.com,
    http://www.videofantasy.com, http://208.135.165.61-.65,
    Location:  Rockford, Illinois
    This spammer uses "aol.com" forgery in e-mail "header" information.
    Sample Text of E-mail:  "Our live sex shows will make your computer
    screens SIZZLE."
5.  Internext
    http://www.domelive.com         (Pornography)
    Location:  Tampa, FL
    This spammer forges the "aol.com" domain name.
    Sample Text of E-mail:  "Live Florida Beach Babes do it all right in
    your browser...."
6.  AMV, Inc.                  (Pornography)
    http://www.pleasureonline.com
    Location:  West Chester, PA
    C&D Response:  "We have not transmitted large volumes of UBE into AOL."
    Sample Text of E-mail:  "8 ALL LIVE - ALL NUDE SHOWS"
7.  Softcell Marketing, Inc.            (Pornography)
    http://www.planetlovejoy.com, http://www.comenow.com
    Location:  New York, NY
    Sample Text of E-mail:  "The Mega Sex Site of All Time is Free"
8.  Paragon Marketing               (Porn and Non Porn)
    http://www.kinkyslut.com, http://www.cyberparty.com,
    http://www.financialsuccess.com
    Location:  Laguna Hills, CA
    This spammer forges the "aol.com" domain name.
    Sample Text of E-mail:  "NEW ADULT WEB SITE WITH HOT LINKS!!!"
9.  American Eagle/PMA            (Non Porn)
    No Web Page


    Location:  Orangeburg, SC
    Spam from this South Carolina location has most often been the
    sale of "80 Million Addresses" and the "Stealth Bomber
    Software" package (bulk e-mailing), but we have also seen
    pamphlets advertised ("Guide to Federal Government Auctions")
    as well as other "Secret Wholesale Sources You're Not Supposed
    To Know."  All of this spammer's advertisements are "aol.com"
    domain name forgery.
10.  Springdale Publications       (Non Porn)
     http://www.springdalepub.com
     Location:  Huntington Beach, CA
     This company allegedly advertises "What Airlines Don't Want You to
     Know!!!"
     This spammer forges the "aol.com" domain name.
     Interesting Info:  The mail address given in the spam is a
     commercial mail drop.  The registered telephone number for the
     company rings directly into the Garden Grove (CA) Police
     Department's Office of "Planning and Research."




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