Spam Laws

 United States

• Federal Laws
• Enacted legislation:
• CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 (Pub. L. 108-187, S. 877)
• Proposed legislation:
• 109th Congress (2005-2006)
• Anti-Phishing Act of 2005  (H.R. 1099) (Hooley)
• Anti-Phishing Act of 2005  (S. 472) (Leahy)
• U.S. SAFE WEB Act of 2005  (S. 1608) (G. Smith)
• 108th Congress (2003-2004)
• CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 (Pub. L. 108-187, S. 877) (Burns-Wyden)
• Anti-Phishing Act of 2004 (S. 2636) (Leahy)
• Anti-Spam Act of 2003  (H.R. 2515) (Wilson)
• Ban on Deceptive Unsolicited Bulk Electronic Mail Act of 2003  (S. 1052) (Bill Nelson)
• Computer Owners' Bill of Rights (S. 563) (Dayton)
• Criminal Spam Act of 2003 (S. 1293) (Hatch)
• Reduction in Distribution of Spam Act of 2003 (H.R. 2214) (Burr)
• REDUCE Spam Act of 2003 (H.R. 1933) (Lofgren)
• Stop Pornography and Abusive Marketing Act (S. 1231) (Schumer)
• Wireless Telephone Spam Protection Act (H.R. 122) (Holt)
• 107th Congress (2001-2002) (None of these bills were enacted.)
• Unsolicited Commercial Electronic Mail Act of 2001 (H.R. 95)
• Wireless Telephone Spam Protection Act (H.R. 113)
• Anti-Spamming Act of 2001 (H.R. 718)
• Anti-Spamming Act of 2001 (H.R. 1017)
• Who Is E-Mailing Our Kids Act (H.R. 1846)
• Protect Children From E-Mail Smut Act of 2001 (H.R.  2472)
• Netizens Protection Act of 2001 (H.R. 3146)
• "CAN SPAM" Act of 2001 (S. 630)
• 106th Congress (1999-2000) (None of these bills were enacted.)
• Unsolicited Electronic Mail Act of 2000 (H.R. 3113)
• "CAN SPAM" Act of 2000 (S. 2542)
• Can Spam Act (H.R. 2162)
• E-Mail User Protection Act (H.R. 1910)
• Inbox Privacy Act of 1999 (S. 759)
• Internet Freedom Act (H.R. 1686)
• Internet Growth and Development Act of 1999 (H.R. 1685)
• Netizens Protection Act of 1999 (H.R. 3024)
• Protection Against Scams on Seniors Act of 1999 (H.R. 612)
• Telemarketing Fraud and Seniors Protection Act (S. 699)
• Wireless Telephone Spam Protection Act (H.R. 5300)
• State legislation

• Selected Cases
• Fenn v. Mleads Enterprises, Inc. (Utah 2006)
• MaryCLE, LLC v. First Choice Internet, Inc. (Md. Spec. App. 2006)
• Beyond Systems, Inc. v. Realtime Gaming Holding Co. (Md. 2005)
• 1.White Buffalo Ventures, LLC v. University of Texas at Austin (5th Cir. 2005) 2. aff'd, 420 F.3d 366 .pdf
• Gordon v. Impulse Marketing Group, Inc. (E.D. Wash. 2005)
• Joffe v. Acacia Mortgage Corp. (Ariz. Ct. App. 2005)
• Fenn v. Redmond Venture, Inc. (Utah Ct. App. 2004)
• Optinrealbig.com, LLC v. IronPort Systems, Inc. (N.D. Cal. 2004)
• Gillman v. Sprint Communications Co. (Utah App. 2004)
• Gillman v. Sprint Communications Co., 2004 UT App 143, 91 P.3d 858 (May 6, 2004)
• Kaufman v. ACS Systems, Inc. (Cal. App. 2d Dist. 2003)
• Intel Corp. v. Hamidi (Cal. 2003) - html Intel Corp. v. Hamidi (Cal. 2003) - pdf format (78 pages, 302K)
• Aronson v. Bright-Teeth Now (Pa. Super. 2002)
• Aronson v. Bright-Teeth Now (Pa. Super. 2003)
• Missouri ex rel. Nixon v. American Blast Fax, Inc. (196 F. Supp. 2d 920 (E.D. Mo. 2002)), (323 F.3d 649 (8th Cir. 2003), pdf format)
• Verizon Online Services, Inc. v. Ralsky (E.D. Va. 2002)
• Ferguson v. Friendfinders (Cal. App. 2002)
• State v. Heckel (Wash. 2001), (Wash. 2004)  
• Hotmail v. Van$ Money Pie (N.D. Cal. 1998)
• CompuServe v. Cyber Promotions (S.D. Ohio 1997)
• Destination Ventures, Ltd. v. FCC (9th Cir. 1995)
• Other collections of spam cases:  AOL, JMLS, SpamCon, Spam Links

European Union

• E-Privacy Directive:  Directive 2002/58/EC Concerning the Processing of Personal Data and the Protection of Privacy in the Electronic Communications Sector, 2002 O.J. (L 201) 37  [EUR-Lex]  [EuroCAUCE]
• E-Commerce Directive:  Directive 2000/31/EC on Certain Legal Aspects of Information Society Services, in Particular Electronic Commerce, in the Internal Market, 2000 O.J. (L 178) 1  [EUR-Lex]  [EuroCAUCE]
• Telecommunications Privacy Directive:  Directive 97/66/EC Concerning the Processing of Personal Data and the Protection of Privacy in the Telecommunications Sector, 1998 O.J. (L 024) 1 (repealed and replaced by Directive 2002/58/EC)   [EUR-Lex]
• Distance Contracts Directive:  Directive 97/7/EC on the Protection of Consumers in Respect of Distance Contracts, 1997 O.J. (L 144) 19 [EUR-Lex]
• Data Protection Directive:  Directive 95/46/EC on the Protection of Individuals with Regard to the Processing of Personal Data and on the Free Movement of Such Data, 1995 O.J. (L 281) 31  [EUR-Lex]  [Privacy.Org]  [CDT]
• European Commission study:  "Junk" E-Mail Costs Internet Users Euro 10 Billion a Year Worldwide (Feb. 2, 2001)
• Internal Market Directorate General
• EUR-LEX: European Union Law
• European Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email (EuroCAUCE)
• EuroCAUCE Survey of Countries

Austria

• Austrian Data Protection Commission
• Austrian Legal Provisions on Direct Marketing
• EuroCAUCE Survey: Austria

Belgium

• EuroCAUCE Survey: Belgium

Czech Republic

• (English translation)
• Antispam.cz
• EuroCAUCE Survey: Czech Republic

Denmark

• Danish Consumer Ombudsman, Collapse of Internet Negotiations (Sept. 30, 1998)
• Foreningen for Ansvarlig Brug af EmaiL (FABEL) [Association for Responsible Use of Email]
• Nordic Consumer Ombudsmen's Position Paper to Trading and Marketing on the Internet and in Similar Communication Systems (Dec. 30, 1998) (press release)
• EuroCAUCE Survey: Denmark

Finland

• Personal Data Act (adopted March 1999) (Finnish | Swedish)
• Nordic Consumer Ombudsmen's Position Paper to Trading and Marketing on the Internet and in Similar Communication Systems (Dec. 30, 1998) (press release)
• Spфmmфys ja lainsффdфntі
• EuroCAUCE Survey: Finland

France

• Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertщs (CNIL) [National Data Processing and Liberties Commission], Electronic Mailing and Data Protection  (Oct. 14, 1999) (French) (press release)
• EuroCAUCE Survey: France

Germany

• Court decisions on e-Mail advertising
• Antispam.de
• EuroCAUCE Survey: Germany

Greece

• EuroCAUCE Survey: Greece

Ireland

• EuroCAUCE Survey: Ireland

Italy

• Legislative Decree Implementing Distance Contracts Directive (May 22, 1999)
• Pagina Antispam in italiano
• EuroCAUCE Survey: Italy

Luxembourg

• EuroCAUCE Survey: Luxembourg

Netherlands

• Telecommunications Act articles 11.7, 11.8
• OPTA
• Code Verspreiding Reclame via E-mail
• Spamvrij.nl (antispam foundation)
• EuroCAUCE Survey: Netherlands

Norway

• Act No. 47 of 16 June 1972 relating to the Control of Marketing and Contract Terms and Conditions (Marketing Control Act) § 2a (as amended effective March 1, 2001)
• Nordic Consumer Ombudsmen's Position Paper to Trading and Marketing on the Internet and in Similar Communication Systems (Dec. 30, 1998) (press release)
• EuroCAUCE Survey: Norway

Portugal

• EuroCAUCE Survey: Portugal

Spain

• EuroCAUCE Survey: Spain

Sweden

• Marknadsfіringslag (1995:450) (Marketing Practices Act)
• Nordic Consumer Ombudsmen's Position Paper to Trading and Marketing on the Internet and in Similar Communication Systems (Dec. 30, 1998) (press release)
• EuroCAUCE Survey: Sweden

United Kingdom

• U.K. Dep't of Trade & Industry, Implementation of EU Directive 97/7/EC on the Protection of Consumers in Respect of Distance Contracts: A Further Consultation Paper, Nov. 1999 -- annex A
• U.K. Office of Fair Trading, Problems with Online Shopping?
• EuroCAUCE Survey: United Kingdom

Other countries

Argentina

• Personal Data Protection Act (2000)
• Pablo Palazzi, Habeas Data (News about Data Protection, Computer Law & Habeas Data in Latin America)
• AntiSPAM - Argentina

Australia

• Spam Act 2003 (also available in PDF)
• DCITA Information Economy: Spam
• Internet Industry Association Privacy Code of Practice
• Coalition Against Unsolicited Bulk Email, Australia (CAUBE.AU)

Brazil

• Movimento Brasileiro de Combate ao Spam

Canada

• Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, Bill C-6 (enacted Apr. 4, 2000)
• Industry Canada, Discussion Paper: E-Mail Marketing: Consumer Choices and Business Opportunities (January 2003)
• Industry Canada, Internet and Bulk Unsolicited Electronic Mail (SPAM) (July 1999)
• Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial E-mail, Canada (CAUCE CANADA)

India

• Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email, India (CAUCE India)

Japan

• Japan Today: Law on Unsolicited Email Takes Effect
• ITworld.com: Spam-Blocking Law Proposed in Japan

Panama

• MataSpam Forum

Peru

• Antispam Perъ

Russia

• Antispam.ru
• Victor Naumov, Legal Aspects of Spam in Russia
• EuroCAUCE Survey: Russia

South Korea

• Ministry of Information and Communication, Regulations on Spam Mails to Be Tightened (January 23, 2003)
• Ministry of Information and Communication, Rules and Regulations

Yugoslavia

• Yugoslav Anti-Spam Initiative (YASI)
• EuroCAUCE Survey: Yugoslavia