Comments:

Re: CAN-SPAM Act Rulemaking, Project No. R411008To the Commissioners,While I commend your efforts to curb the problem ofunsolicited bulk email, I am concerned aboutthe proposed requirement for merchants to maintainsuppression lists.This proposal is rife with problems and costs associated with this idea. In addition consumers and businesses alike will receive damage from this cumbersome and fault-riden process. Therefore I feel I must urge you to consider this matter most carefully.Your requirement to use suppression lists will seriously damage ligitimate business publications available on the internet. These publications are available to the public for their benefit and in many cases are a direct response from our customers requests for information regarding products and services. My specific concern is for harm to publishers who require permission from the consumer prior to adding them to any list.These legitimate businesses are not who CAN-SPAM was designed to put out of business, but this requirement will very likely have that effect.Consumers will be harmed because they will have to know the results of their request to unsubscribe from a list. When spammers get hold of copies of the suppression list this would be a gold mine for them to use for even more spam. When the list is used like this, a legitimate business is most likely going to be the target of this activity, causing that business untold cost to defend an action they did not commit.The potential problems this ruling poses are large enough to have a significant negative impact on our recovering economy. At a time when we should be doing all we can to rebuild our national economy, this ruling will have just the opposite effect. I strongly urge you to reconsider its implementation in light of these problems,Respectfully,Andrew AbernathyDenton, Texas, USA