ISP wins $1 billion in spam suit

An Internet service provider in Iowa has been awarded more than $1 billion in what is believed to be the largest lawsuit judgment ever against spammers.

Robert Kramer, who owns CIS Internet Services, sued 300 spammers after his servers received up to 10 million spam e-mails a day in 2000, according to court documents.

"It's definitely a victory for all of us that open up our e-mail and find lewd and malicious and fraudulent e-mail in our boxes every day," Kramer told the Quad-City Times in Davenport.

U.S. District Judge Charles R. Wolle ordered AMP Dollar Savings of Mesa, Ariz., to pay $720 million and Cash Link Systems of Miami to pay $360 million. Wolle orderd also ordered Florida-based TEI Marketing Group to pay $140,000.

Kelly Wallace, Kramer's attorney, is not optimistic about collecting the judgment, which was made possible by an Iowa law that allows plaintiffs to claim damages of $10 per spam message.

"We hope to recover at least his costs," Wallace said.

Wallace said he has only heard of judgments up to $25 million in spam-related cases.