New legislation was implemented within the UK on 11th December 2003 regarding the sending of commercial emails. Companies that do not conform to the regulations risk large fines.

How does this affect you?
Basically, it means that you must: -

a) Clearly display in all email newsletters your company name, address and contact details.

b) Only send to recipients who have specifically granted their permission to you to send them marketing emails (ie. opted-in). The only exception to this is that you may send emails to individuals with whom you have an existing business relationship and where the marketing email is relevant to that relationship.

Our system takes care of the facility for recipients to be opt out of your email lists.

Here is an extract from the Directive: -

Use of electronic mail for direct marketing purposes

1.
(1) This regulation applies to the transmission of unsolicited communications by means of electronic mail to individual subscribers.
(2) Except in the circumstances referred to in paragraph (3), a person shall neither transmit, nor instigate the transmission of, unsolicited communications for the purposes of direct marketing by means of electronic mail unless the recipient of the electronic mail has previously notified the sender that he consents for the time being to such communications being sent by, or at the instigation of, the sender.
(3) A person may send or instigate the sending of electronic mail for the purposes of direct marketing where—
(a) that person has obtained the contact details of the recipient of that electronic mail in the course of the sale or negotiations for the sale of a product or service to that recipient;
(b) the direct marketing is in respect of that person’s similar products and services only; and
(c) the recipient has been given a simple means of refusing (free of charge except for the costs of the transmission of the refusal) the use of his contact details for the purposes of such direct marketing, at the time that the details were initially collected, and, where he did not initially refuse the use of the details, at the time of each subsequent communication.
(4) A subscriber shall not permit his line to be used in contravention of paragraph (2). Use of electronic mail for direct marketing purposes where the identity or address of the sender is concealed

2.
A person shall neither transmit, nor instigate the transmission of, a communication for the purposes of direct marketing by means of electronic mail—
(a) where the identity of the person on whose behalf the communication has been sent has been disguised or concealed; or
(b) where a valid address to which the recipient of the communication may send a request that such communications cease has not been provided.

To see the legislation in its entirety please see the folowing page on the DTI web site