[Junk]Fax.com Fined $5.4 Million

Satanboy writes "This article states that a record $5.4m fine was levied on Fax.com after blatantly ignoring requests by the FCC to discontinue the activity of sending unsolicited faxes. This is similar to actions CmdrTaco posted about earlier." The people at junkfax.org are apparently planning a large class-action suit against fax.com as well.

Comments

If the Spammers were fined this much...

[alchemist68]

for every offense, I could probably download MP3's from LimeWire and XNap faster with the decreased internet traffic.

Re:If the Spammers were fined this much...

[BigBlockMopar]

for every offense, I could probably download MP3's from LimeWire and XNap faster with the decreased internet traffic.

Why doesn't it surprise me that fax.com runs on IIS?

The slimier the organization, the slimier their webserver.

Oh well, at least it will make it easier for someone to shut them down.

Why can't this apply to...

[httpamphibio.us]

Junk mail? I do have to pay for the recycling bin it gets dumped in, and indirectly for increased cost of postage. We all pay for the amount of pollution it takes to make paper and deliver the mail.

I wonder how the FCC knows the # of Faxes...?

[The Outbreak Monkey]

According to the FCC, Fax.com sent advertisements and other messages on behalf of more than 100 businesses for a fee, sparking 489 violations.

I wonder how the FCC knows that 489 faxes were sent out? Phone records? Customer Complaints? How does that work?

Would it be possible to count all the spam a spammer sends out?

My Moment of Glory

[TheFuzzy]

To toot my own horn:

I was one of the first 10 complaints to get the FCC investigating Fax.com in 1998. In fact, I got them in trouble with the Orange County District Attorney's office, and the S.F.D.A. as well.

Go me! Huzzah!

Jurisdiction (Mod me up!)

[sam_handelman]

Phone calls take place, in legal terms, at the location of the person who gets the phone call. For now, let's assume faxes work the same way.

So, the ruling (pointed to by the person to whome I respond) might apply to all of the faxes that Fax.com sent to Eastern Missouri, which may have contributed to the fine, but not to the others. Other courts may (or may not) be advised by this ruling - it is only binding precedent in Eastern Missouri, and coming from a district court, it isn't very strong.

The company itself is in Alisa Viejo; so, unless someone in the District for Southern California, on the 9th circuit has ruled the TCPA unconstitutional, they definitely have no blanket protection. If Faxes take place at the point of transmission, this ruling provides them no protection at all.

junkfax.org

[SkipToMyLou]

See Junkfax.org if you want in-depth info on how to get junk faxers to pay you as well. :)