Microsoft wins case against German porn spammer

Read about it in PC Advisor.

In a nutshell, there are no anti-spam laws in Germany, which means that spammers normally get a free ride. In this particular case, the spammer was sued for using Microsoft's Hotmail.com name in the return addresses of his spam. This ruling makes such misuses of a trademark-protected brand a criminal offence, subject to prosecution, according to Microsoft.

The actual findings against the spammer were a slap on the wrist. The spammer must promise not to forge Hotmail into his headers or face a €250,000 fine. He must also give Microsoft detailed information about his spam business activities.