The Microsoft corporation has succeeded in winning a law suit before a UK court, effectively stopping one spammer selling harvested e-mail spam lists. Paul Martin McDonald, the spammer and evil doer in question might have never been forced to stop his despicable way of earning $$ if it wasn't for Hotmail, Microsoft run free webmail service.

McDonald stepped on software giant's toes with his Bizads company, which sold, among others, e-mail addresses of Hotmail users. Judge Lewison was quick to decide that such sale was indeed illegal. The Out-Law reports:

"The evidence plainly established that the business of Bizads was supplying email lists of persons who had not consented to receive direct marketing mail and that it had encouraged purchasers of the lists to send emails to those people," said Lewison. "The lists contravened reg. 22, as they concerned the sending of unsolicited emails and the words of the Bizads website instigated the sending of emails."

Although the article does not explain what the punishment for the sorry sod will be, but according to law McDonald might be forced to pay for lost income and good reputation Hotmail suffered.

I would give him some time in jail too, if you ask me.