Comments:

Re: CAN-SPAM Act Rulemaking, Project No. R411008 To the Commissioners, I applaud 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. I, myself, have one (others to follow)business online and run it with little to no budget to speak of. I am on social security disability and every single bit of business I am lucky to have come my way is by word-of-mouth or the occasional link. I have just started implementation of a newsletter and your proposed changes will destroy all of the planning, research and possible positive impact on my company and my reputation. Requirement of the use of suppression lists will seriously damage many of the legitimate publications available on the net that I subscribe to. Many of them have helped me to get to the point I have strived for for seven years now. My specific concern is for harm to publishers who require permission from the consumer prior to adding them to any list. They're not who CAN-SPAM was designed to put out of business, but this requirement will very likely have that effect. I firmly believe that this will come back to do more harm than good and make spammers spam even more, rather than less. I shutter at the thought of the potential problems this ruling could produce, and urge you in the strongest possible terms to reconsider its implementation in light of these problems. Respectfully, Cliff Dearing Texas - USA