I’ve got a lot of catching up to do on Spamsuite.com, but there is a new document up there tonight.

It appears that there has been a settlement filed in Comcast‘s counter-claim against David Linhardt and his (multiple) email marketing (and hosting) companies.

I have a bit of analysis up there at Spamsuite, but I think it’s important to point out the most significant part of the whole thing: It includes the settlement agreement. Right there, as part of the filing.

In my experience in working with litigators and litigation, this is pretty rare. Usually there will be a filing saying that the document exists and everyone is more (or less) happy with it, and if there should arise a problem with the settlement that the judge will see them again. But the document itself is considered confidential and never even filed.

As I see it, Linhardt was so desperate to get out of this case he became willing to sign (in the Affidavit of Confession of Judgment) what’s basically a blank check to Comcast worth a quarter of a million dollars, and waive the usual niceties, like not having to allow the whole world to see what he agreed to.

I’ll also point out here, even though I don’t at Spamsuite, that Comcast basically agrees to nothing. This is all give on Linhardt’s part, with no take.

If you want to view this as a war, then this is a complete, total, devastating victory for Comcast. Linhardt’s country lies in ruins with the conquering army busy spreading salt in its fields.