FOI Request for Database (fwd)

Bill Crosbie crosbie at AESOP.RUTGERS.EDU
Thu Aug 15 16:12:19 EDT 1996


While I commend the student that did the research, I take exception with one
point of analysis performed:

>
>US Code Title 47, Sec.227(b)(1)(C): "It shall be unlawful for any person
>within the United States to use any telephone facsimile machine, computer,
>or other device to send an unsolicited advertisement to a telephone
>facsimile machine."  Under this law's definition, a computer with eMail and
>printer constitutes a "telephone facsimile machine."
>

This is incorrect.  It is possible to set up a computer to 'fax-spam'
through the use of a fax-modem.  The computer can be given a range of phone
numbers and then told to dial each in succession, recording which return fax
acknowledgement signals.  The computer would then send a fax to and number
with a fax machine (aka "telephone facsimile machine.") attached.  This is
against the law.  

It does not follow, however, that it is illegal to e-mail spam.  E-mail
hasn't been addressed on this point yet.  (although I really wish that it
would be...  check out the end of sig to see if you can guess what I've been
receiving all summer....)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Always dream and shoot higher	      |	  Bill Crosbie
than you know you can do.	      |	  Microcomputer Analyst
Don't bother just to be better than   |	  Chang Science Library
your contemporaries or predecessors.  |	  Rutgers University
Try to be better than yourself.	      |	  New Brunswick, NJ USA
	   			      |	  crosbie at aesop.rutgers.edu
	~~William Faulkner~~	      |	  908-932-0305 x114

By sending unsolicited commercially-oriented e-mail to this address, the
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