Microsoft has recently filed two "John Doe" lawsuits looking to crack down on spam (specifically advertising debt relief and adult Web sites) on its Windows Live Hotmail network. The first was filed on June 13 while the second was filed on Tuesday of this week. Microsoft has filed such lawsuits on an almost-monthly basis over the past year.
Microsoft alleges that a company doing business under the name Consumer Solutions Network sent "misleading, deceptive, and unsolicited commercial e-mails advertising debt relief help to Windows Live Hotmail account holders." Consumer Solutions Network operates several Internet domains including myfinancialsolutions.org, consumersolution.org, and financialsolutionsonline.org, according to Microsoft. Microsoft has also sued unnamed defendants for sending spam that promoted pornographic Web sites through Hotmail. Microsoft claims that these spammers not only flooded Hotmail accounts with unwanted messages, but also used Hotmail itself to send large volumes of spam: "Many of defendants" illegal e-mail messages were sent using ... accounts obtained through false or fraudulent pretenses."