CAN-SPAM is piece of legislation enacted by the US government as a response to the widespread protest against the practice of sending unsolicited mails. The legislation basically outlines categorically how email addresses should be acquired, how they should be sent, and how they should be drafted. There has been much debate since that time regarding the act, as some opponents say that it is not stringent enough to outlaw the practice altogether. This is rooted in some truth as the act does allow business to send unsolicited mails; however, the act also states that the business must also respect the option of the recipient to decline from receiving any more mails. Additionally, these refused addresses cannot be further harvested for any other purpose.



In terms of the other main features of the law, the guidelines are that addresses cannot be harvested and must be acquired from opt-ins. This means that one must agree to receive mails before being mailed – though this is not absolute. Other stipulations outlaw the use of spider software, open relay servers, and misleading content lines. These very same stipulations apply to video newsletters as well.

Video newsletters as a form of email newsletters are open to abuse because there is no spam filter that can read a video file and filter it for spam material. This means that any video that does get through the filters could face the ire and wrath of the ISP or recipient. Therefore, true to the nature of a newsletter, you must post videos that are newsworthy and not post bland advertisements like the ads for over the counter medicine.

The next guideline is that the mails that are sent out must contain correct subject lines. This means that you cannot be misleading and use subject lines like “you owe me money” and the like. People who are trying to send pornographic material in particular have to be careful because some spam filters can detect the color hues in an image for human skin tones. This makes it spam susceptible.

The unsubscribe link is a small innocuous line at the end of the mail but this doesn't make it any less important. A large part of the spirit of CAN-SPAM lies in the freedom of trade and freedom of choice. This means that while it allows businesses to advertise and mail it also accords the right of refusal to the recipient.

Email newsletters and bulk email mails differ in one crucial aspect – that one is trying to inform and one is trying to get a sale. This difference is crucial to the user as well as to a spam filter. Always remember that today's internet user is hungry for information and not looking for a bargain on the internet. Once this crucial distinction is understood, you can modify your content accordingly and ensure that by offering a certain type of information; you actually end up facilitating a sale. This is one of the basics of internet marketing.