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CNN Live At Daybreak

Wham Bam to SPAM

Aired May 08, 2003 - 06:13   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Time now for some business buzz. A judge throws the book at an Internet spammer.
Susan Lisovicz is in New York with details.

You're kidding, somebody actually got in trouble...

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: No.

COSTELLO: ... for sending spam?

LISOVICZ: And has to pay a lot of money and can't operate on the Internet highway. Isn't that a good thing -- Carol?

COSTELLO: Yes. For those of us who hate spam, it certainly is.

LISOVICZ: Yes, and there are a growing number of us who do.

EarthLink, the No. 3 Internet service provider, won a $16 million injunction against an Internet spammer known as the "Buffalo Spammer." He is also banned from sending any unsolicited e-mails on any Internet service or helping others send them.

EarthLink alleged Howard Carmack and his accomplices used stolen credit cards, bank fraud and identity theft to illegally obtain accounts to send out e-mail advertisements. The spam included pitches for e-mail virus software, cable TV, descramblers and lists to be used by other spammers. That's according to EarthLink.

But you know, Carol, we live in a litigious society. The "New York Times" is reporting today that EarthLink itself is being sued by a software company. MailBlock alleges that EarthLink's latest anti- spam software violates two of its patents. So it wants a cut of the action.

COSTELLO: Well we can understand it living in a capitalist society, can't we?

LISOVICZ: Exactly.

COSTELLO: Quick look at the futures before you go.

LISOVICZ: Lower open, which would continue what we saw yesterday. The Dow industrials lost a third of a percent. Tech stocks especially weak on Cisco's disappointing sales outlook. That dragged the Nasdaq down more than 1 percent. But the index is still up nearly 13 percent for the year. One major economic report due today, weekly jobless. That's out an hour before the opening bell. We also get retail sales numbers for the month of April from most of the nation's retailers -- Carol.

COSTELLO: OK, we'll look for those numbers later.

Susan Lisovicz, many thanks.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM AT www.fdch.com






Aired May 8, 2003 - 06:13   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Time now for some business buzz. A judge throws the book at an Internet spammer.
Susan Lisovicz is in New York with details.

You're kidding, somebody actually got in trouble...

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN FINANCIAL NEWS CORRESPONDENT: No.

COSTELLO: ... for sending spam?

LISOVICZ: And has to pay a lot of money and can't operate on the Internet highway. Isn't that a good thing -- Carol?

COSTELLO: Yes. For those of us who hate spam, it certainly is.

LISOVICZ: Yes, and there are a growing number of us who do.

EarthLink, the No. 3 Internet service provider, won a $16 million injunction against an Internet spammer known as the "Buffalo Spammer." He is also banned from sending any unsolicited e-mails on any Internet service or helping others send them.

EarthLink alleged Howard Carmack and his accomplices used stolen credit cards, bank fraud and identity theft to illegally obtain accounts to send out e-mail advertisements. The spam included pitches for e-mail virus software, cable TV, descramblers and lists to be used by other spammers. That's according to EarthLink.

But you know, Carol, we live in a litigious society. The "New York Times" is reporting today that EarthLink itself is being sued by a software company. MailBlock alleges that EarthLink's latest anti- spam software violates two of its patents. So it wants a cut of the action.

COSTELLO: Well we can understand it living in a capitalist society, can't we?

LISOVICZ: Exactly.

COSTELLO: Quick look at the futures before you go.

LISOVICZ: Lower open, which would continue what we saw yesterday. The Dow industrials lost a third of a percent. Tech stocks especially weak on Cisco's disappointing sales outlook. That dragged the Nasdaq down more than 1 percent. But the index is still up nearly 13 percent for the year. One major economic report due today, weekly jobless. That's out an hour before the opening bell. We also get retail sales numbers for the month of April from most of the nation's retailers -- Carol.

COSTELLO: OK, we'll look for those numbers later.

Susan Lisovicz, many thanks.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM AT www.fdch.com