Within the next several days, Yesmail.com, Chicago, and privacy watchdog group Mail Abuse Prevention System LLC will release details about their agreement to hold off on litigation in place of discussion.
Paul Vixie, managing partner of MAPS told DIRECT Newsline yesterday that the two are on a fast track to resolve the issue. A release will outline MAPS protocol for industry standards, already widely known across the e-mail marketing industry.
Vixie said that a policy of confirmed or verified opt-in will be required to stay clear of landing on MAP’s Realtime Blackhole List (RBL) of alleged spammers. “Opt-in that isn’t verified is extremely abuseable,” Vixie said. “So there’s just no way for the e-mail industry to continue without verified opt-in.”
David Tolmie, CEO of permission-based e-mail marketing company yesmail.com said yesterday that the two had agreed to a first step but were still finalizing negotiations. “We’re looking forward to final resolution real soon,” Tolmie said.
At its Web site, http://www.mail-abuse.org, MAPS touts opt-in as its method of choice and states that opt-out violates its fundamental principles that “all communications must be consensual.”
Yesmail and MAPS had agreed Tuesday evening (see “Yesmail and MAPS agree to put litigation on Hold,” Direct Newsline July 26). to put aside legal action pending further discussion. As part of the agreement yesmail.com will not be listed on the RBL.
The temporary restraining order, issued by a Federal court on July 13, has been lifted by mutual consent. The order, filed by yesmail.com, prevented MAPS from listing yesmail.com on its RBL of alleged spammers. The order was set to expire Aug. 2.
The temporary restraining order was issued by the Northern District Court of Illinois Eastern Division. The order came after MAPS demanded that Yesmail.com convert its permission-based marketing model to a double opt-in protocol. The complaint stated that MAPS “has gone overboard in its misdirected and over-zealous efforts.”
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