Microsoft Wins $3.95 Million from Spammer

LehiNephi writes "A Washington, D.C. judge fined Daniel Khoshnood, a major spammer, for pretending to be Microsoft in order to attract customers. Specifically, he registered windowsupdate.com (not to be confused with windowsupdate.microsoft.com), then sent out mass email encouraging users to download a toolbar from that website. Although the suit was not specifically about spamming, the mass emails (and subsequent complaints) were what caught Microsoft's attention. So far, Microsoft's campaign against spam has netted them $54 million from six judgments, one dismissal, four settlements, and two bankruptcies. The article doesn't mention whether the toolbar actually lived up to its claims of automatically applying security patches."

Comments

WindowsCleaners is next?!

[Canadian Idol]

Spammers = bad yada yada yada

But what about this:
to pay Microsoft for violating the company's trademark and [i]profiting from the use of a domain named controlled by Microsoft[/i]

Eh? Controlled by Microsoft? How?

And this:
Windowsupdate.com, a domain name that Mr. Khoshnood had registered in violation of Microsoft's trademark rights.

Same old *Windows* = (tm) Bill story again. So I guess WindowsCleaners is next? (That domain is still available so I'm not spamming).

Re:obnoxious troll

[the_mad_poster]

Well hell.. if my subnet is going to be banned, I may as well troll to deserve it...

Oh my. Such a powerful intellect I'm dealing with here. I'd better just accede the flamewar right now because I don't now how I could possibly retort in the face of that biting "gay nigger porn" comment.... oh wait, yes I do:

You should know I'm not watching it because I don't enjoy watching your gay nigger daddy rape goats while he fingers your postule-encrusted asshole.

You're right, I should be doing one of those exciting Saturday morning activities like everyone else.

Hmmm. Good point. I've only seen one kid go by on a bike, a pack of three walk by talking, and a pair come back the other way laughing about something since I got up two hours ago. However, since you're completely socially inept, I guess we can rule out the last two options (unless recieving a savage beating counts as a social activity for the victim, in which case you're probably one of the most popular guys at your little boys' academy). I suppose the fact that you're a three hundred pound wanker who can't even see his balls without setting his flabby gut on a towel rack in front of a mirror rules out biking. Hmmm. Good point. You are too pathetic to participate in any Saturday morning activities...

I guess that would be true if you replaced "jobs" with "eczema", "schooling" with "beatings" and "country" with "my parent's basement".

Oh my. Wounding comeback. Please. No. Don't unleash that powerful wit again by spouting your droll, tired, bland insults. I mean, obviously, nobody has ever thought to use THOSE insults before. You're so utterly creative and unique. Did you learn that in the public school that I'M currently earning taxable income to pay for so that you can waste your entire, lifeless Saturday posting to Slashdot insulting people? You're a perfect example of why I support abortions. In fact, if I have one regret in life, it's that your parents didn't tie a bag around your head and leave you in the dumpster behind the trailer park after your mom squatted in the mud to squeeze your little trollish ass out.

Game. Set. Match. Bitch. Now if you'll excuse me, unlike you, I have better things to do with the rest of my day.