[PLUG-TALK] RE: [PLUG] ORS and spam

John Hampton John.Hampton at gijoes.com
Tue Apr 2 16:47:38 UTC 2002


(I'm taking this to plug-talk since it is slightly off-topic for the main plug list)

Richard said:
>I've seen some .sigs that reference that law or a similar one - they basically 
>say that since you're connected via a telephone wire, and can then print out 
>said message, that your computer, is, in fact, a very very expensive facsimile 
>machine.
>
>Granted, that's stretching the letter of the law, but it does raise some 
>interesting points.

According to www.webster.com, a facsimile is:
1: an exact copy
2: a system of transmitting and reproducing graphic matter (as printing or still pictures) by means of signals sent over telephone lines.

I would definitely say that email falls under definition 1 and I also think that it wouldn't be much of a stretch to print the email and then say that it falls under definition 2.  So I don't think that it is too much of a stretch, it is just interpreting facsimile according to its true definition and not its perceived definition. However, IANAL.

It would be really cool to see this stand up in court however.


John Hampton
Programmer Analyst
G.I. Joe's, Inc.
john.hampton at gijoes.com





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