Feds crack down on pornographic e-mails

[Verbal]

Another article: http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/interne....ap/index.html

This is not really just about spam... the Feds are actually fining these Sponsors who's Affiliates sent out emails promoting their paysites... possibly without the Sponsor's knowledge... which is scary if you run an affiliate program. I want to know why if an affiliate is spamming or sending emails that don't follow "Can Spam", why is the Sponsor being sued for this?


I suppose then, that this probably means the end of affiliate email promotion at most Sponsors, now that they can be sued directly.

[Verbal]

From the CNN article, bold added by me:

Federal regulators accused seven companies Wednesday of hiring others to send illegal e-mails with pornographic messages to tempt consumers to visit adult Internet sites.
...
The FTC said the seven companies did not send e-mails directly to consumers but operated affiliate programs, paying others to send unwanted messages to drive Internet traffic to adult Web sites. The FTC said under the "Can Spam" law, defendants in such cases are liable because they paid others to send e-mails on their behalf.
...
The lawsuits seek unspecified payment to the government for "every violation" of the federal anti-spam law.

They make it sound like these Sponsors outsourced a major spam campaign, but I suspect they are being heavily penalized for just a few spamming affiliates.

[Toby]

Originally Posted by Verbal

They make it sound like these Sponsors outsourced a major spam campaign, but I suspect they are being heavily penalized for just a few spamming affiliates.

Based on the strong no email promotion policies implemented by a number of sponsors over the last few months I think you're correct. Although a small number of affiliates that really know what they're doing can generate a ton of email spam.

[Wazza]

http://www.avn.com/index.php?Primary...tent_ID=233914

Pure Marketing Solutions = Pure Cash (defunct)

No idea who Internet Matrix Technology is

[Surfn]

Originally Posted by Wazza

http://www.avn.com/index.php?Primary...tent_ID=233914

Pure Marketing Solutions = Pure Cash (defunct)

No idea who Internet Matrix Technology is

I believe Matrix was Bling Cash.