Junk e-mail unwanted

Unwanted junk e-mail could soon be a thing of the past for Hoosiers. The Indiana House of Representatives has responded to the rising problem of unsolicited commercial e-mail, better known as "spam," with new legislation. \nThe House recently passed in a 95-0 vote Bill 1083, which will give Indiana residents the ability to fight back against unsolicited commercial e-mail. \nThe bill was co-authored by State Representatives Matt Pierce and Peggy Welch, both D-Bloomington. The bill includes several guidelines for people who send mass commercial e-mail. \n"This legislation does not prevent someone from sending an e-mail to sell a good or service," Welch said. "It asks them to be up-front about what they're doing, and not to be deceptive about their intentions."\nThe bill prohibits anyone from sending e-mail messages with misleading subject titles. In order to be legal, the subject of an e-mail must specify that it is an advertisement for a specific product being sold -- with no attempts to trick readers into opening the e-mail. All advertisements targeted at adults must be labeled in the subject line, as well.\nSenders of spam e-mail must remove the names of people who do not wish to receive the e-mails. Many spam solicitors already offer this option, allowing readers to click on a link at the bottom of the e-mail that will unsubscribe them. Spam senders are also prohibited from selling e-mail address lists to other companies or advertisers.\nHouse Bill 1083 also says that a sender may not use a third party's Internet domain without the consent of the third party. Senders may not obscure an e-mail's point of origin, a prepared statement from the General Assembly said. This means senders must make clear who sent the e-mail and from where it came.\n"These are general requests that are honored by companies that are interested in serving their customers, rather that exploiting them," Pierce said.\nUnder the bill, a recipient of unwanted e-mail has a right of action against senders but not against Internet Service Providers. The right of action comes under the state's deceptive consumer sales laws which has penalties as steep as $500 per offense.\nThe bill is scheduled to take effect July 1 this year. The measure will now move to the Indiana Senate, where a similar bill is being considered.\nWhile mass commercial e-mail will most likely remain a common occurrence in inboxes across Indiana, the House of Representatives is attempting to eliminate fraud and deception in it. Welch said the bill does not rule out e-mail as a means to sell or advertise products but "House Bill 1083 is aimed at getting (senders of mass commercial e-mail) to act honestly"