Another spammer bites the dust. - GoFuckYourself.com

PornGeneral · 01-14-2005, 12:14 PM

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...e/spam_lawsuit

By BRANDI GRISSOM, Associated Press Writer

AUSTIN, Texas - The state attorney general filed a lawsuit against a 22-year-old college student and his business partner, accusing them of illegally sending hundreds of thousands of unsolicited, misleading e-mails.
Ryan Pitylak, a student at the University of Texas at Austin, heads the fourth-largest spamming operation in the world, Attorney General Gregg Abbott said.

The lawsuit filed Thursday alleges that Pitylak and Mark Trotter, his 40-year-old business partner from Encinitas, Calif., have been sending the e-mails since at least Sept. 1, 2003.

"We want to make clear that these defendants we are suing today and any other illegal spammers in the state of Texas can't hide behind a computer screen any longer," Abbott said in filing the state's first e-mail spamming lawsuit.

Lin Hughes, attorney for Pitylak and Trotter, said her clients took great pains to make sure the e-mails were legal.

The lawsuit seeks millions of dollars for violations of the federal Controlling Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003, known as the CAN-SPAM Act. The act made illegal sending uninvited e-mails that could mislead recipients.

The lawsuit also alleges violations of Texas laws prohibiting unsolicited e-mail and deceptive trade practices. It asks a judge to stop LeadPlex Inc., LeadPlex LLC and PayPerAction LLC from sending e-mails.

Pitylak and Trotter began PayPerAction in 2002 and have operated the business under at least 250 different names, Abbott said.

According to the lawsuit, the e-mails contained official-looking subject lines such as "Re: your past due bills" and "Urgent: Household Loan Memorandum: Please Read." When recipients clicked on links in the e-mails, they were asked to provide personal information that Pitylak and Trotter sold to other companies for as much as $28 per reference, the lawsuit alleges.

According to Travis County tax records, Pitylak owns a $450,000 home in an upscale Austin neighborhood. A woman who answered the door said Pitylak was out of town on business and would not be answering phone calls. Pitylak did return an e-mail, referring all questions to his attorney.

Pitylak and Trotter sold their interests in the LeadPlex and PayPerAction to Hong Kong-based Eastmark Technology Limited, which is also named in the lawsuit, in March, their attorney said. Hughes said Pitylak and Trotter still act as consultants to Eastmark.

Hughes said her clients did not violate the CAN-SPAM Act. She said each e-mail contains a disclaimer indicating the purpose is to gather information and a link allowing recipients to unsubscribe to the e-mails, as required by the act.

While lawsuits against spammers won't stem the tide of e-mails flooding in-boxes nationwide, Jim Prendergrast, president of Americans for Technology Leadership, a consumer advocacy group, said it's a start.

"It's not going to all of the sudden reduce your spam by 30 messages," Prendergrast said. "But as we see more lawsuits, coupled with better technology and better consumer habits, I think we'll see that amount go down."

sharpx9 · 01-14-2005, 12:17 PM

I wonder if he'll send me his mailers :D

nofx · 01-14-2005, 12:19 PM

"you might be able to stop me, but you can not stop us all"

Young · 01-14-2005, 12:20 PM

Young kid doing good for himself

Furious_Male · 01-14-2005, 12:23 PM

Quote:

"It's not going to all of the sudden reduce your spam by 30 messages," Prendergrast said. "But as we see more lawsuits, coupled with better technology and better consumer habits, I think we'll see that amount go down."

Better technology and better consumer habits will help yes. Lawsuits are a joke. They act like the US is the only country sending spam. More and more of these operations are heading offshore if they haven't already.

emthree · 01-14-2005, 12:38 PM

Free the spammers!
I hate seeing nerds get jailed and sued over using their brain.

skillfull · 01-14-2005, 12:46 PM

what he was thinking
get the fuck out of the US if you are a mailers :P

chowda · 01-14-2005, 11:06 PM

man i want to change my custom title :D

digifan · 01-14-2005, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chowda

man i want to change my custom title :D

01-14-2005, 12:14 PM	#1
PornGeneral Confirmed User Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: In front of computer Posts: 564	Another spammer bites the dust. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...e/spam_lawsuit By BRANDI GRISSOM, Associated Press Writer AUSTIN, Texas - The state attorney general filed a lawsuit against a 22-year-old college student and his business partner, accusing them of illegally sending hundreds of thousands of unsolicited, misleading e-mails. Ryan Pitylak, a student at the University of Texas at Austin, heads the fourth-largest spamming operation in the world, Attorney General Gregg Abbott said. The lawsuit filed Thursday alleges that Pitylak and Mark Trotter, his 40-year-old business partner from Encinitas, Calif., have been sending the e-mails since at least Sept. 1, 2003. "We want to make clear that these defendants we are suing today and any other illegal spammers in the state of Texas can't hide behind a computer screen any longer," Abbott said in filing the state's first e-mail spamming lawsuit. Lin Hughes, attorney for Pitylak and Trotter, said her clients took great pains to make sure the e-mails were legal. The lawsuit seeks millions of dollars for violations of the federal Controlling Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003, known as the CAN-SPAM Act. The act made illegal sending uninvited e-mails that could mislead recipients. The lawsuit also alleges violations of Texas laws prohibiting unsolicited e-mail and deceptive trade practices. It asks a judge to stop LeadPlex Inc., LeadPlex LLC and PayPerAction LLC from sending e-mails. Pitylak and Trotter began PayPerAction in 2002 and have operated the business under at least 250 different names, Abbott said. According to the lawsuit, the e-mails contained official-looking subject lines such as "Re: your past due bills" and "Urgent: Household Loan Memorandum: Please Read." When recipients clicked on links in the e-mails, they were asked to provide personal information that Pitylak and Trotter sold to other companies for as much as $28 per reference, the lawsuit alleges. According to Travis County tax records, Pitylak owns a $450,000 home in an upscale Austin neighborhood. A woman who answered the door said Pitylak was out of town on business and would not be answering phone calls. Pitylak did return an e-mail, referring all questions to his attorney. Pitylak and Trotter sold their interests in the LeadPlex and PayPerAction to Hong Kong-based Eastmark Technology Limited, which is also named in the lawsuit, in March, their attorney said. Hughes said Pitylak and Trotter still act as consultants to Eastmark. Hughes said her clients did not violate the CAN-SPAM Act. She said each e-mail contains a disclaimer indicating the purpose is to gather information and a link allowing recipients to unsubscribe to the e-mails, as required by the act. While lawsuits against spammers won't stem the tide of e-mails flooding in-boxes nationwide, Jim Prendergrast, president of Americans for Technology Leadership, a consumer advocacy group, said it's a start. "It's not going to all of the sudden reduce your spam by 30 messages," Prendergrast said. "But as we see more lawsuits, coupled with better technology and better consumer habits, I think we'll see that amount go down." __________________ "The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his." -Patton "Only the dead have seen the end of war." -Plato

01-14-2005, 12:19 PM	#3
nofx Too lazy to set a custom title Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Virgin Mary's womb Posts: 16,826	"you might be able to stop me, but you can not stop us all" __________________ Often times I wonder why There's love and hate, theres live or die. When sickness comes I must decide: When feelings go, theres suicide.

01-14-2005, 12:20 PM	#4
Young Bland for life Industry Role: Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 10,468	Young kid doing good for himself __________________ ★★★

01-14-2005, 12:38 PM	#6
emthree Dialer Kingpin Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: New York Posts: 10,816	Free the spammers! I hate seeing nerds get jailed and sued over using their brain. __________________ • Sell Patches & Pills •

01-14-2005, 12:46 PM	#7
skillfull Confirmed User Industry Role: Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Quebec Calisse Posts: 4,716	what he was thinking get the fuck out of the US if you are a mailers :P __________________ mind at underdark dot cc SEO Analyst Thunder-Ball.net - Member

01-14-2005, 12:17 PM	#2
sharpx9 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 2,085	I wonder if he'll send me his mailers :D

01-14-2005, 11:06 PM	#8
chowda Confirmed User Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Gooch city Posts: 9,527	man i want to change my custom title :D __________________ Someone finds you... 2007 PS: Nationalnet is the best host I've ever had. And i tried alot of them.