Bush signed the "Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2005" into law this weekend with little fanfare. The bill, introduced by Senator Gordon Smith of Oregon, purports to be small-business friendly but has a clause that protects most fax advertising.
The bill doesn't change existing laws that prohibit unsolicited fax advertising (the "Blast Fax" days are numbered). It does, however, exempt fax advertising from businesses with which the receiver already has a business relationship. Critics say this will open the floodgates of fax advertising, as any business who has ever sold a product to you could be considered as having a "relationship" with you. However, in the days of eFax and ever-cheaper ink and paper, I wonder: is the interest being protected great enough to prohibit the speech here?
