Re: Lawsuit threat against RBL users

[Scott Michel <scottm () ulfus cs ucla edu>]

> From reading this list, it doesn't sound like RBL is being used as a
tool to squelch the disenfranchised. I can't say I know Paul Vixie
all that well, but I think he'd be the first to raise a red flag if
RBL was being used as a tool to censor people.

In response to your other point, "Is there grounds for this case?"

Consider provider P's upstream provider, UP. UP, if they are sensible,
has a usage policy which includes abuse. It is definitely within the
bounds of UP's course of action to discontinue service to P because
P's customer's are violating UP's usage policy. Instead of discontinuing
P's service completely, UP black-holes P's mail and shares this
information with other providers who chose to black-hole the abusive
e-mail users.

So, it's P's responsibility to correct the situation.

Paul only provides a mechanism, so you can't sue him. It's like the
City of Chicago trying to sue the gun makers for aiding and abetting
murder after the fact -- plainly guns don't kill people, people kill
people. Take this analogy a step further: RBL black-holes spam, but
people implement RBL to deal with people sending spam.


-scooter


> [In the message entitled "Re: Lawsuit threat against RBL users" on Nov 18, 22:37, Chris Williams writes:]
> > Company S(pam) has a web site, hosted on the servers of
> > web-presence-provider Company P(rovider). Company S uses the services of
> > Company X to send out massive loads of SPAM, with referencing the web
> > site and even e-mail addresses hosted by Company H. Now, if I'm hearing
> > what's being said on this list correctly, Company H is being expected to
> > pull the website they host for Company S (or else be blackholed), _even
> > though no illegal or spam-generating activity is being generated on
> > their network_.
> > Am I understanding this correctly?!?
>
> You are understanding this correct.  Spam support services certainly
> falls under the charter of the RBL.
>
> See http://maps.vix.com/rbl/candidacy.html#ByAssociation
>
> -- 
> Dave Rand
> dlr () bungi com
> http://www.bungi.com