Porn Marketer Enters Into A Settlement With FTC

On 30 January 2007, InfoWorld published the statement of the United States FTC (Federal Trade Commission) in which the commission divulged that a web based sexually overt entertainment provider has agreed to shell out a civil penalty of $465,000 for sending unsolicited e-mail.

TJ Web Productions has pledged to adhere to the spam laws of the federal under this settlement, as per FTC. This implies that from now onwards the phrase "Sexually Explicit" will now appear in the subject line of the messages sent at the company's end. This will make sure that the message area that was initially viewable will not display overt messages.

This is the fifth settlement FTC has made after making an announcement on the crack down on sexually overt messages in July in 2005. The agency had indicted seven firms with the violation of US law that required warning labels on messages carrying sexually explicit content. TJ Web associates had indulged in wide distribution of the sexually explicit spam emails since May 2004. This information was revealed in an FTC complaint.

Including the settlement with TJ Web, above $1.6 million have been collected by FTC via civil penalties through five firms, said FTC.

FTC's Clan Spam Act & Adult Labeling Rule, which Congress had passed during late 2003, oblige commercial e-mail senders of sexually overt content to put the phrase "Sexually Explicit" in their subject line. So, the law ensures that the initially visible area of the e-mail doesn't show any sexual images.

TJ has pledged that any commercial spam e-mail will now include a chance for the recipients to eschew receiving future messages & provide a mailing address. Since the rule & law also require the same.

TJ Web operates many adult websites that contain sexually overt pictures and videos, as per FTC's complaint. The settlement will force the company to be permanently stopped from breaching the Adult Labeling Rule of FTC. TJ Web Production, Nevada, operates a business of "affiliate marketing" by which the company induces others for transmitting commercial spam for it, said FTC. According to the settlement the affiliates are also required to either comply with the same or face termination from the program.

The settlement that's yet to come in effect requires approval from court. It further forces the company to acquire agreement from its associates that they'll comply with court order's terms.

Related article: Porn Links Overflow Irish Message Boards

» SPAMfighter News - 2/1/2007