Comments:

Re: CAN-SPAM Act Rulemaking, Project No. R411008 To the Commissioners, Thank you for your efforts to curb the problem of unsolicited bulk email. However, I am concerned about the proposed requirement for merchants to maintain suppression lists. There are so many problems and costs associated with this idea, and so much damage done to consumers and businesses alike, that I feel I must urge you to consider this matter most carefully. Requirement of the use of suppression lists will seriously damage many of the legitimate publications available on the net. My specific concern is for harm to publishers who require permission from the consumer prior to adding them to any list. They are not the ones that CAN-SPAM was designed to put out of business, but this requirement will very likely have that effect. There is also the potential for significant harm to consumers, because of the problem of properly knowing their intent when they unsubscribe from a list. In addition, these suppression lists could easily fall into the hands of spammers, leading to more spam instead of less. I was quite surprised at the potential problems this ruling could involve, and very strongly urge you, in light of these problems, to reconsider its implementation. Respectfully yours, Neil Schneiderman Howell, NJ, USA