President Bush signs anti-spam legislation

KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
WASHINGTON -- With a stroke of an old-fashioned pen, President Bush sought Tuesday to give computer users relief from the endless stream of unsolicited e-mails hawking everything from overseas get-rich-quick schemes to elixirs guaranteed to enhance various parts of the anatomy.
Bush signed the so-called "Can-Spam" legislation Congress passed earlier this month. The law gives federal officials legal tools to prosecute the most egregious spammers who make fraudulent claims about their products or services.
The law will be phased in beginning next month, White House officials said. When it's fully implemented, spammers will face fines of $250 for each fraudulent e-mail pitch and up to $6 million for the worst offenders.
What it does
The law also authorizes federal regulatory agencies to establish a national do-not-spam registry similar to the do-not-call list implemented earlier this year to combat telemarketing calls. It also forbids senders of commercial e-mail from disguising themselves by using incorrect return e-mail addresses or misleading subject lines. The law mandates that e-mail marketers include a feature in their ads that allows consumers to opt out of future e-mails.