Comments:

While I agree that something must be done, forcing small business people to submit to what amounts to a 'do not email' system will not work. True spammers will ignore it or move offshore. Small business people like myself will not be able to afford, in time or dollars, the steps necessary to ensure that we comply. Again, I agree that something needs to be done and appreciate your efforts, but this plan will put many small businesses out of business, and will be counterproductive. Also, the ability for the average citizen to produce an ezine or newsletter which expresses their point of view encourages free speech and adds to our culture. Your proposal would prohibit, or at a minimum discourage, these individuals from expressing themselves since the costs and mechanics involved would be too much for them to bear.If you are going to force small businesses to clean their lists against a universal opt-out list, then the service should be provided by you and be offered to the small business person or individual at no cost. If spammers ever get ahold of such a list, they will profit wildly since they have no hesitation to break the law, and persons on such a list would be prime targets for their unlawful actions. Please do not impose this restriction on small businesses like mine. Your proposed solution will not solve the problem and will be an undue burden on small business owners.