[20030515]RS20037_“垃圾邮件”：关于未经请求的商业电子邮件（“垃圾邮件”）的问题和立法概述.pdf

1 The origin of the term spam for unsolicited commercial e-mail was recounted inComputerworld, April 5, 1999, p. 70: “It all started in early Internet chat rooms and interactivefantasy games where someone repeating the same sentence or comment was said to be makinga spam. The term referred to a Monty Pythons Flying Circus scene in which actors keep sayingSpam, Spam, Spam and Spam when reading options from a menu.”Congressional Research Service The Library of CongressCRS Report for CongressReceived through the CRS WebOrder Code RS20037Updated May 15, 2003“Junk E-mail”: An Overview of Issues andLegislation Concerning UnsolicitedCommercial Electronic Mail (“Spam”)Marcia S. SmithSpecialist in Aerospace and Telecommunications PolicyResources, Science, and Industry DivisionSummaryUnsolicited commercial e-mail (UCE), also called “spam” or “junk e-mail,”aggravates many computer users. Not only can spam be a nuisance, but its cost may bepassed on to consumers through higher charges from Internet service providers whomust upgrade their systems to handle the traffic. Proponents of spam insist it is alegitimate marketing technique and protected by the First Amendment. While 27 stateshave anti-