The DMA Applauds Senate on Fax Vote

WASHINGTON, June 24, 2005 – The Direct Marketing Association (The DMA) praised members of the U.S. Senate for passing a bill that protects consumers and businesses from unwanted faxes, while keeping open this important line of communication for legitimate commerce.

"We appreciate the efforts of the Senators who worked so diligently to forge a balanced compromise that allows businesses to continue to use faxes to contact individuals and businesses with whom they have an existing business relationship," said Jerry Cerasale, senior vice president, government relations, The DMA. "For small businesses especially, and those involved in business-to-business marketing, faxes remain an important channel for communication with customers."

The Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2005 (S.714) prohibits commercial faxes from being sent to consumers or businesses where there is no established business relationship or written consent. The compromise reached today would allow marketers to continue to send such faxes when there is an established business relationship.

The Senate bill, and a companion bill that the House is expected to vote on next week, would negate a Federal Communication Commissions rule scheduled to go into effect on July 1 that would ban commercial faxes to customers.

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About The DMA

The Direct Marketing Association (www.the-dma.org) is the leading trade association for businesses and organizations interested in direct, interactive, and database marketing, which in 2004 generated more than $2.3 trillion in US sales, including $143.3 billion in catalog sales and $52.5 billion in Web-driven sales. In addition to catalogs and the Web, DMA members employ a wide variety of marketing media, including mail, e-mail, telephone, newspapers and magazines, interactive television, and radio, among others. Founded in 1917, The DMA today has more than 5,200 corporate, affiliate, and chapter members from the US and 44 other nations, including 55 companies listed on the Fortune 100. Reflecting the significant and growing role that direct marketing plays in today's advertising mix, The DMA's membership represents marketers from every business segment, including catalogers, Internet retailers, retail stores, nonprofit organizations, advertising agencies, financial services providers, book and magazine publishers, book and music clubs, industrial manufacturers, and a host of other vertical segments, as well as the service industries that support marketers.

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