A Victory Over SPAM

Published: Thursday, December 29, 2005 Online-Casinos.com

A VICTORY OVER SPAM

This is one man who did something about it...

A British businessman has won what is believed to be the first victory of its kind by claiming damages from a company which sent him e-mail spam.

Nigel Roberts, who lives in Alderney in the Channel Islands, took action against Media Logistics UK over junk e-mails in his personal account. Under new European laws, companies can be sued for sending unwanted e-mails.

It was a small but significant victory - Media Logistics agreed to pay GBP 270 compensation to Mr Roberts, who runs an internet business.

Three years ago the EU passed an anti-spam law, the directive on privacy and telecommunications, which gave individuals the right to fight the growing tide of unwanted e-mail by allowing them to claim damages.

Mr Roberts received unwanted e-mail adverts for a contract car firm and a fax broadcasting business and decided to take action against the company. The company filed an acknowledgement of the claim at Colchester County Court but did not defend it and a judge ruled in favour of Mr Roberts.

In an out-of-court agreement Media Logistics agreed to pay Mr Roberts damages plus his GBP 30 filing fee. Roberts had limited his claim to a maximum of GBP 300 in order to qualify to file it as a small claim.

He said: "This may be a tiny victory but perhaps now spammers will begin to realise that people don't have to put up with their e-mail in-boxes being filled with unwanted junk."