MediaBuyerPlanner: British spam blocking firm Spamhaus must pay $11.7 million in damages to marketing firm e360insight for blocking emails to consumers, it was decided by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Spamhaus was charged with blacklisting the firm, and has been ordered to publish an apology stating that e360insight is not a spammer, writes DM News. The company is no longer allowed to block, delay, alter or interrupt any of e360insight's mailings in any way, according to the order.

The article points out that, while spam is illegal in both the U.S. and Great Britain, the definition of spam may be different, which raises questions in situation such as these.

In a statement on e360insight's website, the company claims that it has "proven that Spamhaus routinely exposes their customers and volunteers to extreme legal risk by continuing to engage in illegal blacklisting, defamation, extortion and blackmail in the name of fighting spam."

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