Annoying someone via the Internet is now a federal crime.

["Hamaker, Chuck" <cahamake@email.uncc.edu>]

By Declan McCullagh

Published: January 9, 2006, 4:00 AM PST
http://news.com.com/Create+an+e-annoyance%2C+go+to+jail/2010-1028_3-6022
491.html?part=rss&tag=6022491&subj=news


Annoying someone via the Internet is now a federal crime.

It's no joke. Last Thursday, President Bush signed into law a prohibition 
on posting annoying Web messages or sending annoying e-mail messages 
without disclosing your true identity.

In other words, it's OK to flame someone on a mailing list or in a blog as 
long as you do it under your real name. Thank Congress for small favors, I 
guess.

This ridiculous prohibition, which would likely imperil much of Usenet, is 
buried in the so-called Violence Against Women and Department of Justice 
Reauthorization Act. Criminal penalties include stiff fines and two years 
in prison.

"The use of the word 'annoy' is particularly problematic," says Marv 
Johnson, legislative counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union. 
"What's annoying to one person may not be annoying to someone else."

See link for rest of article.

Chuck Hamaker
Associate University Librarian Collections and Technical Services
Atkins Library
University of North Carolina Charlotte
Charlotte, NC 28223
phone 704 687-2825