Judge Won’t Order ICANN to Shut Down Spamhaus

CHICAGO — A potential legal showdown between American courts and ICANN over Spamhaus has been averted with a federal judge saying he won’t order the organization that oversees Internet domains to shut down the embattled spam-fighter’s website.

Judge Charles Kocoras had been expected to grant a motion made by e360Insight, which sued Spamhaus for placing it on the company’s blacklist.

London-based Spamhaus had initially declined to defend the suit on jurisdiction grounds, promoting Kocoras to enter an $11.7 million default judgment against the company.

The default judgment marked a hallow victory for e360Insight, according to the company’s lawyer, Bart Loethen, who said he had little choice but to ask the court to take down the Spamhaus site.

While Spamhaus and many legal experts believed Kocoras would grant the order, few believed a U.S. court had the authority to order ICANN to shut down a domain.

Officials at ICANN said they would refuse to comply with the order.

Ducking the question of an American court’s power to compel ICANN to act, Kocoras instead declined to issue the order on the ground’s that shutting down the site would curtail many lawful Spamhaus functions.

“The suspension would cut off all lawful online activities of Spamhaus via its existing domain name, not just those that are in contravention of this court’s order,” Kocoras said.

Spamhaus CEO Steve Linford said he was “extremely relieved” by the ruling.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

JustFor.fans' Dominic Ford Featured in Wired Magazine

JustFor.fans Founder and CEO Dominic Ford is featured in a new article in Wired Magazine, titled "The Internet Revolutionized Porn. Age Verification Could Upend Everything."

Dr. Charlotte Gaydos Joins ProDx Health Advisory Board

Dr. Charlotte Gaydos has joined the Advisory Board of ProDx Health.

Aylo Fined $5 Million as FTC, Utah Settle Safety Practices Complaint

The Federal Trade Commission and the state of Utah on Wednesday settled a complaint against Aylo, requiring the company to pay a $5 million penalty and implement measures to prevent illegal content from appearing on its sites.

New AI Companion Platform 'Pornstar.love' Launches

Pornstar.love, a new AI companion platform, has officially launched.

Pineapple Support, Stripchat to Host 'Navigating Thoughts of Suicide' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Stripchat are hosting a free online support group to help performers deal with suicidal ideation.

Plaiir Names Cade Maddox as Lead of Creator Relations

Networking platform Plaiir has appointed Cade Maddox as its new lead of creator relations.

Go.cam Launches 'One-Line Integration' Verification Solution

Go.cam has introduced a one-line code integration for age verification.

XBIZ Amsterdam to Debut 'Behind the Lens' Screening Series

XBIZ is pleased to announce the debut of “Behind the Lens,” a new screening series presenting discussions with noted directors, taking place at the upcoming annual European conference, XBIZ Amsterdam.

'White Rabbit' Party Headed for XBIZ Amsterdam

XBIZ is pleased to announce the White Rabbit Party, an XBIZ Amsterdam special event set to take place Wednesday, Sept. 3.

2025 XBIZ Amsterdam Speaker Lineup Announced

XBIZ is pleased to announce the release of the full speaker lineup for XBIZ Amsterdam 2025, the latest edition of Europe’s biggest adult industry conference, set to take place Sept. 2-5 at the Jakarta Hotel in Amsterdam.

Show More