SAN FRANCISCO, CA - December 8, 2003 - The Institute for Spam and Internet Public Policy ("ISIPP") announced today its national "Spam and the Law" conference, to be held in San Francisco on January 22, 2004.

Featuring an impressive roster of speakers including Stanford Law Professor Lawrence Lessig, computer and marketing guru Guy Kawasaki, noted Internet attorney Jon Praed, Internet privacy expert Ray Everett-Church, Federal Trade Commission attorney Brian Huseman, and technology and law journalist Declan McCullagh, the conference is being billed as the "must attend" event for those in the email sending and receiving industries, including Internet service providers, online publishers, spam-filtering companies, online marketers, and email service providers.

"We've managed to put together an amazing group of speakers, and we are incredibly fortunate to be able to offer this first ever in-depth treatment of the state of spam and the law", explained Anne P. Mitchell, President and CEO of ISIPP and herself an attorney and Professor of Law at Lincoln Law School of San Jose. "Anybody who is involved in any of the email industries should take the opportunity to learn from these distinguished experts as they explain exactly what one may, may not, should, and should not do with respect to email practices and the law."

Although the planning for the Spam and the Law conference began prior to the passage of the new Federal anti-spam law, the need for the conference is even more critical now, added Mitchell. "If anybody thinks that the passage of the Federal law makes things simpler for email senders or receivers, they are sorely mistaken."

Jon Praed, a founding partner with the Internet Law Group, added "Speaking as someone who regularly litigates issues relating to spam and the Internet, I can say that the issues are complicated and the pitfalls many. This conference is critical for anyone who sends, receives, or rejects email on a regular basis."

"Congress has spoken," explained Lawrence Lessig, a Stanford Law professor and prominent legal scholar regarding the Internet and cyberlaw, "and unless we deal with any mistakes now, spam will dramatically weaken the Internet for years to come."

"Congress and many state legislatures are formulating strategies for the regulation of commercial e-mail. The law as it relates to the Internet and spam is in a constant state of flux, and the passage of the new Federal law is only a beginning not an end," elaborated Michael Grow, Chairman of the Technology Department of Washington D.C. law firm Arent Fox, and also a conference speaker. Added Grow "Anyone involved in the sending or receiving of email would be well-advised to attend this conference to learn about their rights and responsibilities under the laws."

Scheduled to address the conference regarding the importance of achieving and maintaining a sterling Internet reputation, noted author and marketing expert Guy Kawasaki added "There will be little distinction between spam and email marketing if we leave it to the politicians. The industry has to solve this problem."

Other speakers at the conference, which is sponsored in part by WhatCounts, eDeliverability, IronPort Systems, TalkBiz News and Informz, include David Baker - Vice President of Law and Public Policy for Earthlink, Inc., Michael Osterman - President of Osterman Research, and Scott Frewing, - an attorney with Baker McKenzie and formerly of the United States Attorneys office.

Said David Geller, President of Seattle-based email service provider WhatCounts, "WhatCounts is excited to be participating as a sponsor in this very important industry event. The impact that fraudulently formed email has had for all of us has been staggering. It's time we react to take back what is still the Internet's only "killer application" by drafting and developing both legislative and technological solutions that address these problems."

"IronPort is very pleased to be one of the sponsors of this conference," explained Patrick Peterson, General Manager of Information Services for IronPort Systems. "Spam is an increasingly serious problem for both individuals and legitimate business trying to communicate on the Internet. IronPort, through support of events like this and our product and Information Services offerings, is committed to helping solve the spam problem."

Added Paul Myers, publisher of online business journal TalkBiz News, "TalkBizNews.com is pleased to help sponsor the "Spam and the Law" Conference. This is a critical area for small publishers, and we're thrilled that ISIPP has taken on the daunting task of clarifying this vital issue for them. Our thanks to Anne Mitchell, Ray Everett-Church and all the participants for their help in showing us all how to thread the maze of confusing and often contradictory information on this enormously important subject."

Scott Frewing, who was a founding member of the nation's first Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property ("CHIP") unit while with the U.S. Attorneys office, concluded "This conference provides an opportunity for all users of e-mail -- essentially all of us -- to learn about the recent changes in law impacting their lives on the Internet. Having prosecuted various types of cybercrime and having been involved in spam litigation, I know that a number of companies and individuals are not aware of the rapidly changing legal landscape. This conference is important for all commercial e-mail users to attend."

For more information about the Spam and the Law conference, see HERE or send email to conference@isipp.com.

A limited number of press passes will be available on a first come - first served basis.