EDUPAGE> Edupage, December 17, 2003 (fwd)

Date:         Wed, 17 Dec 2003 15:45:06 -0700
From:         [email protected]


FEDERAL ANTI-SPAM BILL GOES ON THE BOOKS
President Bush has signed the first federal legislation designed to
limit the amount of spam, marking the end of several years of
unsuccessful attempts by Congress to agree on how to approach the
problem. The new law, which goes into effect January 1, sets several
requirements for commercial e-mail, including opt-out provisions and
valid postal addresses. It also prohibits misleading subject lines or
fraudulent return addresses. Violators face fines as well as prison
terms. In addition, the law authorizes the Federal Trade Commission to
investigate establishing a "do not spam" registry. Critics complained
that the law sets requirements that, if met, will grant marketers
protection as having sent "legal" spam. Detractors also are unhappy
that the federal legislation supercedes state anti-spam laws, many of
which are tougher than the federal law.
New York Times, 16 December 2003 (registration req'd)
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/17/technology/17spam.html