CAN-SPAM Act. A real solution, or just a new can of worms? (wired.com)

[Wonk]

On New Year's Day, Americans will wake up to more than a crushing hangover; they will have a new federal antispam law and, according to one commercial group, a new definition of spam.

Representatives of the Direct Marketing Association said the CAN-SPAM Act, which President Bush signed into law Tuesday, settles any argument about the difference between spammers and legitimate e-mail marketers.

"CAN-SPAM removes any level of subjectivity and makes it crystal clear who is a spammer and who is not," DMA spokesman Louis Mastria said.

"CAN-SPAM, in fact, does no such thing," retorted Steve Linford, head of the Spamhaus Project, based in the United Kingdom.

(snip)

"The DMA is up to its usual tricks of trying to redefine spam to mean 'that which our members do not send,'" Linford said. "There has never been any argument over the definition of spam."

John Mozena, spokesman for the Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email, agreed.

more...
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,61679,00.html

[wanderingbear]

1. New can of worms what else..

When ever you try to prohibit someone from saying something theres always going to be a fight about it.