Microsoft sues German spammer

Munich (dpa) – Microsoft said Monday it has filed suit in German courts against a company alleged to be the kingpin of a web of companies in the United States and Ukraine distributing spam e-mails.

The software multinational said the company, registered in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, was behind millions of unwanted advertising messages that clutter the internet worldwide.

The head of the company, who lives in Germany after a long stay in the United States, reportedly denies the allegations, claiming he has business partners who are out of control. He has declined to identify those partners.

Microsoft is seeking damages and an injunction to cease under German fair-trade laws. Sending spam is not a criminal offence in Germany. Microsoft alleges the company chief has websites where he offers to send spam for a fee or to sell millions of addresses.

Dorothee Belz, a Microsoft Germany spokeswoman, said it was common for spam to be sent from less-regulated “third countries”, while the organizers were increasingly found to be based in the West.