CAN-SPAM Act of 2003

ALSO CALLED: CAN SPAM Act of 2003, S. 877, CAN SPAM, Controlling the Assault of Non-solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003, Senate Bill 877, and CAN-SPAM
DEFINITION: The Can Spam Act of 2003 is a commonly used name for the United States Federal law more formally known as S. 877 or the "Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003." The law took effect on January 1, 2004. The Can Spam Act allows courts to set damages of up to $2 million when spammers break the law. Federal district courts are allowed to send spammers to jail and/or  … 
Definition continues below.

CAN-SPAM ACT OF 2003 DEFINITION (continued): …  triple the damages if the violation is found to be willful. The Can Spam Act requires that businesses: - Clearly label commercial e-mail as advertising- Use a truthful and relevant subject line- Use a legitimate return e-mail address- Provide a valid physical address- Provide a working opt-out option- Process opt-out requests within ten business days Critics of the Can Spam Act warn it will be next to impossible to enforce the legislation because spam is an international problem and the US government will not be able to impose punishment on law-breakers outside its own jurisdiction. Proponents …