DENMARK: A Danish court fined a local telecoms equipment firm a record 400,000 Danish crowns (€53,686) yesterday for sending over 15,000 unsolicited e-mails, a rare conviction against a pedlar of what is commonly called spam.
"We are very pleased with the judgment, which we expect will have a preventive effect on the practice of sending unsolicited e-mails to both private consumers and companies," said Ms Jane Frederikke Land, who took the case on behalf of Denmark's National Consumer Agency.
The consumer ombudsman brought the case against Aircom Erhverv ApS, saying the practice of sending unsolicited e-mails intended to market goods or services to the recipient was an infringement of Denmark's law on marketing practices.
Ms Land said the ruling created a precedent in Danish law, and emphasised the law also protects Danish consumers and companies against spam from sources outside the Nordic country.
Denmark is one of six EU states to have implemented a European Commission directive on privacy and electronic communications that calls for stiff sanctions against firms who send torrents of e-mail marketing messages, or spam, nicknamed after the bland, processed meat product made mostly from ham.
Waves of unsolicited e-mails which promise the recipient schemes for quick riches, a better sex life and endless products are a daily annoyance to most people who have an e-mail address. Industry estimates say spam accounts for at least half of all e-mails sent, triggering a global clampdown from politicians and the business community.
As of today, infringements of the Danish law involving even one unsolicited e-mail and up to 100 could result in a minimum fine of 10,000 crowns (€1,341) and a fine of 100 crowns (€13.42) for every e-mail beyond 100.
This is the second case of its kind in Denmark. In the first in May 2003, a company was fined 15,000 crowns (€2,012) for sending 153 spam e-mails.
Austria, Ireland, Italy, Britain and Spain have also implemented the EU Commission directive aimed at avoiding the widespread use of spam e-mail.