Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography
and Marketing Act of 2003
by Sanders Consultation Group Plus

CANSPAM Act of 2003 and How it Will Affect Our Marketing Campaigns

The CANSPAM Act 2003 is the government's attempt to regulate email based on our own complaints about unsolicited commercial email. It is targeted at the shadier characters involved with email marketing on the net. When your average small company or sole-proprietor send a marketing email, they tend to do so using common sense and honesty. This act is not targeted at the honest marketers out there. It's targeted at the schemers and get rich quick artists that send out hundreds of thousands of emails to people they haven't taken the time or done the work to gain the honor of communicating with.

The act is targeted at those who hide behind their computers and make false claims in the name of obtaining the all mighty dollar. They use email address generators, and use means available to disguise or hide their identity. Some even go as far to gain unauthorized access of computers to aid them in their fraudulent email campaigns. They are the people who would tell you anything just to get you to buy from them or help make them a buck. They are the people that want something for nothing, and are too lazy to work at getting what they want, so they take the easy way by flooding email boxes with unwanted email.

There are legitimate ways to send out email on a one-time basis to gain someone as a recipient. The act also covers this. It is not the intention to make it illegal to send someone you don't know an email. If that were the case, then how would we ever get the chance to know anyone? The intention is not to make it impossible for marketers to expand their list. It is to initiate and maintain a guideline for doing so. It is because of the unscrupulous marketers that took advantage of hundreds or thousands of people that has brought this act to us. It is asking that people who wish not to get your email be given a means with which to tell you. In addition, it is required now that you honor their request.

Yes, there are some changes in the act. Opt out options, opt out must be available for 30 days after the message is sent, valid return email address, company physical address, appropriate subject headings, and full disclosure requirements for subject headers and email headers. Add those things to your email, and you comply with the act. Remove someone when they request within 10 days, and you comply with the act. If the message is unsolicited, use ADV as the beginning of your subject line, and you comply with the act. Do not create your lists using automated email generating programs or email harvesting programs, and you comply with the act. If you market sexually oriented material, then note it in your subject line, and you comply with the act. Just about everything you need to comply with the act applies to gold old common sense and honesty.

You should also take note of the sections pertaining to third parties. The government realizes there are businesses out there that outsource their email marketing campaigns. They realize there are businesses that sell email lists. If you outsource your email marketing or buy email lists, you now have an added obligation. You need to make sure that the company you chose to do your email marketing or buy your list from conforms to the new CANSPAM Act of 2003. Change your marketing tactics to conform to the act in your campaigns, and you will have nothing to worry about.

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About the Author

James R. Sanders is the owner of Sanders Consultation Group Plus. He has been a webmaster and website designer since 1997. He has also been involved in self employment ventures since 1992. He is presently a contributing author of NewbieHangout. His writing is targeted to webmasters, would be webmasters, website designers, would be website designers, self employed, or those researching information looking for solutions to questions associated with design, business operations, and promotion today. His goal is to provide practical information based upon his years of experience to help webmasters, website designers, and self employed people achieve their goals in today's competitive global market. You can subscribe to his free newsletters at SCGP - Newsletter.

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