DMA Commends Reps. Tauzin, Sensenbrenner And Burr For Introduction Of Rid Spam Act Of 2003

NEW YORK, May 23, 2003 – The Direct Marketing Association (The DMA) commended W.J. "Billy" Tauzin (R-LA), Chairman of the U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee, and F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-WI), Chairman of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, and Representative Richard M. Burr (R-NC) for their introduction today of the Reduction in Distribution of Spam Act of 2003.

"The Direct Marketing Association (The DMA) continues to be supportive of the passage of federal legislation as one of the weapons to combat the problem of spam," said Jerry Cerasale, senior vice president, government affairs, The DMA. "Having a House measure co-sponsored by the Chairmen of two such powerful Congressional committees in conjunction with the Burns/Wyden bill in the Senate provides our greatest opportunity to date to ensure that federal legislation is, in fact, enacted."

“Protecting e-mail as a channel of communication is critical to the growth of the Internet and the U.S. economy," said Cerasale.

"There is no silver bullet, however, to ending the scourge of spam," cautioned Cerasale. The DMA has recently unveiled its Anti-Spam Working Strategy, which includes support for federal legislation, as well as progressive actions that industry can take to complement any new laws.

The DMA’s Anti-Spam Working Strategy addresses the following key areas in the battle against spam:

Adherence to The DMA's "Four Pillars of Responsible E-Mail Marketing"
Outlawing of surreptitious harvesting and all dictionary attacks as methods of obtaining e-mail addresses
Inclusion of a standardized opt-out in ALL commercial communications
Creation of an industry-wide "Gold List" that would create an economic disincentive to spam while recognizing legitimate e-mail
Support of federal legislation that includes the "Four Pillars of Responsible E-Mail Marketing," that preempts state laws, and that creates civil and criminal penalties for violators
Industry/law enforcement cooperation that leads to the creation of a "Silver Platter" program.

The DMA is especially pleased that one of the most unique elements of its Anti-Spam Working Strategy has been incorporated into today's House bill. The Chairmen saw fit to propose that ALL commercial e-mail must provide consumers with the ability to opt-out of receiving future messages. The DMA supports the approach and continues to review the substance of today's bill.

The DMA is the leading trade association for businesses interested in interactive and database marketing, with nearly 4,700 member companies from the United States and 53 other nations. Founded in 1917, its members include direct marketers from every business segment as well as the nonprofit and electronic marketing sectors. Included are catalogers, Internet retailers and service providers, financial services providers, book and magazine publishers, book and music clubs, retail stores, industrial manufacturers and a host of other vertical segments, including the service industries that support them. According to a DMA-commissioned study, direct and interactive marketing sales in the United States are projected to have surpassed $2 trillion in 2002, including $126 billion in catalog sales and $34 billion in sales generated by the Internet. The DMA's Web site is www.the-dma.org, and its consumer Web site is www.shopthenet.org.

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