Australian Spammer Arrested

Up until recently, spam was considered more of a nuisance than a real threat, but some countries, concerned about their citizens' well being, have decided to enforce anti-spam laws. And now we're beginning to see the first tangible effects of these commendable initiatives.

This is the case of Australia, where a Spam Act came into force in April 2004. And the first to suffer the consequences of braking this law is Wayne Mansfield, a businessman from Perth, owner of the Clarity1 and Business Seminars companies, who allegedly sent over 56 million unsolicited e-mails since April last year. The Australian Communications Authority (ACA) is decided to take this case before the Federal Court in Perth, and try its best to obtain a favorable ruling.

The ACA said that Mansfiels was listed by international anti-spam organization Spamhaus as among the world's top 200 spammers.

Dr Bob Horton, acting chairman at the ACA, said the regulator was seeking an interim injunction against Clarity1 because of the scale of the alleged breaches. The injunction, if granted, would be in force until the court hearing.

A successful prosecution would make Mansfield liable to a fine of up to AUS$220,000 for each day of breaking the law. The businessman is also eager to appear before a court, in order to clear his name.