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A few years ago, the United States legislature decided to put the hammer down on spam emails. Though it didn't really help much because spammers are international, if you're a U. S. citizen, you're bound to follow the law.

"I only send about 500 messages a month. Why would they bother me?" you may think. But even if that's the case, you're still liable. It only takes one spam complaint to shut you down or worse. You're probably already protected in some ways if you use a reputable autoresponder program. But if you're using your own autoresponder or mail system, then you should take note. Plus, some parts of the law will still apply.

Here's basically what the law says:

*You cannot have false or misleading information in your email headers or in the "From" and "To" lines and you must give accurate routing information, including the place where your domain originates and your proper email address. It must also identify you as the person who sent the email.

*You may not use misleading subject lines. You cannot deceive the recipient about what's inside the email.

*You must include an opt-out method, and provide a return email address. And when someone unsubscribes, you must honor their request.

Any opt-out method used must be active for at least 30 days from the time you send the message, and you have 10 business days to remove people who asked to be removed from your list. You can't transfer your list to another person, and you can't sell it.

*You must identify your message as an advertisement and you have to include your physical mailing address.

That's it in a nutshell. But there are other things to remember when you're list building and emailing out to other people. First, don't buy lists of email addresses--ever. Harvesting of email addresses is also against the law. Take time to set up a proper list building page that transmits names and email addresses to an autoresponder that will automatically confirm subscriptions. This is called "double opt-in," and it will save you from getting into trouble. The law doesn't say that you have to do this. It's just more protection in case a spam complaint ever arises.

And never neglect to include a link so that people can opt out, and indicate the link's purpose. When you use an online autoresponder service, this is taken care of for you. But if you have your own autoresponder or another mail program, you have to be sure that these elements are included. Otherwise, you face up to an $11,000 fine, and you could be sent to jail. It's not worth ignoring the law.

Is it?

Tellman Knudson, CEO of OvercomeEverything, Inc., is a master list builder and well-known for his first project, List Crusade. Tellman teaches you his system for explosive list building at MyFirstList.com.