The-CAN-SPAM Act

The-CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 was signed into law on December 16, 2003, establishes the United States' first national standards for the sending of commercial e-mail and requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce its provisions.

The original CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 was later modified by:

1. Adding a definition of the term "person"
2. Modifying the term "sender"
3. Clarifying that a sender may comply with the act by including a post office box or private mailbox and
4. Clarifying that to submit a valid opt-out request, a recipient cannot be required to pay a fee, provide information other than his or her email address and opt-out preferences, or take any other steps other than sending a reply email message or visiting a single page on an Internet website.

The basics of the CAN-SPAM act

1. Don't use false or misleading header information.
2. Don't use deceptive subject lines.
3. Identify the message as an ad.
4. Tell recipients where you're located.
5. Tell recipients how to opt out of receiving future email from you.
6. Honor opt-out requests promptly.
7. Monitor what others are doing on your behalf.

That last point is important, just because you are using a bulk mailing service don't assume they will take care of this for you. They have little invested in your business.

Read this The CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business