THE DMA WILL NOT PURSUE FURTHER DO-NOT-CALL LIST LITIGATION
NEW YORK, March 3, 2004 – The Direct Marketing Association (The DMA), the largest trade association in the world representing the telephone-marketing industry, today announced its decision not to pursue any further legal actions in response to a federal appellate court ruling that upheld the National Do Not Call Registry.
"We have considered our options with legal counsel and teleservices users and suppliers in our broad membership, and have decided not to pursue further litigation regarding the National Do Not Call Registry," said H. Robert Wientzen, president & CEO, The DMA.
"The telephone-marketing industry remains committed to respecting the wishes of those who have placed their household telephone numbers on the do-not-call list," said Wientzen. "Consumers must come first. We will listen to consumers."
The DMA stated that it continues to work cooperatively with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to correct the problems that arose during the registry’s implementation. Doing so will ensure a list that both consumers and industry alike will find most acceptable going forward.
The DMA’s members account for more than 80 percent of the telephone-marketing industry. Significantly, they include not only teleservices firms making calls on behalf of other companies, but also the vast majority of companies whose brands, products, and services are sold via telephone in the United States.
About The DMA
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 economic-impact study, direct and interactive marketing sales in the United States are projected to have surpassed $1.7 trillion in 2003, including $133 billion in catalog sales and $41 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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