Lawsuits drive 'Spam King' Richter to bankruptcy

The Register ^ | 31 March 2005 | Andrew Orlowski

[clamper1797]

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy

[Vinnie]

Speaking of spam..
Has anyone tried the Jackrabbit Vibrator? (As seen on HBO's Sex and the City)
:)
One spam I got today

[A. Pole]

Spamming ought to be a criminal felony with severe and lengthy prison time for perpetrators.

It is enough to set up the system to charge them a few cents per spam message and to charge the party which hires them.

Maybe every mail should include a tiny charge like 2c to be owed or forgiven by the recipient. That way one could send undesired mail only to the limited number of addresses.

[Bush2000]

But does Scott Richter just go down the street and open up another shop, or does he already have multiple alternatives. Punishment needs to involve more than judgments against shell companies.

Agreed. It's probable that these folks offshored most of their assets before they could be seized. And, even if that weren't the case, how much does it cost somebody to set up a spamming operation? Not much. Whatever solution evolves has to involve a combination of technology and legal prohibitions.

[sunshyne]

>Bankruptcy isn't a way to make people pay, it's a way to make people NOT pay.

Agreed. Thank goodness we're working on legislation to help cut down on this-people are just bankruptcy happy these days.

[steve-b]

Making someone file for bankruptcy doesn't prove a law "works" - Donald Trump has filed for bankruptcy several times, and is still in business and still wealthy. Bankruptcy isn't a way to make people pay, it's a way to make people NOT pay.

A worthwhile bankruptcy reform (as opposed to the crap passed by Congress last month) would include making debt incurred through criminality or willful tort non-dischargeable.