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<nettime> Internet Alert: Australian Spammer sues activist



Article published on Adelaide IndyMedia June 18, and forwarded to nettime
with the kind permission of the author...


Internet Alert: Australian Spammer sues activist 



Author: Michael Harris
Contact:12 Berkeley Street, Heathridge, WA, 6027
Australia phone: 0894030798 
Email: mgharris@iinet.net.au



In what is being billed as a international legal first, a company engaged
in the sending of Unsolicited Bulk Email, or Spam is suing an anti-spam
activist for his alleged involvement in having them placed in an
international blacklist.

The company in question, Perth-based The Which Company T/as T3 Direct
headed by sole director Wayne Robert Mansfield has been engaged in the
practises of sending junk email to the inbox of internet users addresses
which it has got hold of through various questionable technologies for
over 2 years. However, recently Joseph “Joey” McNicol said enough was
enough – and decided to publish information about the company on his
website.

Little did anyone know that his frustration was noticed by SPEWS.org, an
international blacklist database based in the US which maintains lists of
companies which are engaged in sending spam. The databases are then used
by various internet providers from around the world to filter out junk
mail from their users inboxes.

This independent organisation chose to place T3 in their blacklist
database as there were a number of verified spam attacks from this company
which had been found.

As you might have gathered, after T3 was listed on SPEWS.org – junk email
they had been sending was bouncing back at them. Central to the entire
claim put before Western Australia’s District Court a few weeks back is
that Joey had directly influenced or caused them [T3] to be placed in
SPEWS.org’s lists. However this claim is refuted by SPEWS, who clearly
state on their website “SPEWS does not take submissions or
nominations. Entries in SPEWS are made by the people who run SPEWS for
their own blocking and filtering needs.”

Internet users everywhere have become very interested in this case since
it was broken in late May, with a massive movement starting up to help
Joey defend the lawsuit. Many websites including online forums, mailing
lists, and even a donation service have been provided so people can help
out in whatever way they can.

However, a major event which is being tied to the campaign to fight the
lawsuit is pending protest action. Several Perth-based internet users
associated with the campaign are putting a protest to be held at an
upcoming seminar being run by one of Mr. Mansfield associated companies'
Business Seminars Australia on the 25th of July. The protest action is
designed to inform people about the ongoing plight of junk email on the
internet and the unsavoury business practises employed by Mr. Mansfield
and his web of companies.

While everyone is hoping that this case will go in favour of Joey, there
could be some serious repercussions if it does not. Various
Technology-focused Legal experts fear that if this case goes in T3’s
favour, that the spamming floodgates will be opened on internet users and
that there will be nothing anyone can do to legally stop them.

Time will tell, but hopefully the world's internet community will get in
behind Joey to ensure that spammers are given the message that we don’t
want our email filled with their junk.

For further information please see:

http://winchester.ii.net/spamsuit/
http://t3-v-mcnicol.ilaw.com.au/
OR http://www.joeyfightsspam.org/

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