CNET: Maryland lawmakers pass antispam legislation

While the Can-Spam Act pre-empted many state anti-spam laws, Maryland's legislature just passed one designed to dovetail with it. The new measure, now awaiting the governor's signature, would pile on state criminal charges, allowing for jail terms of up to 10 years. Passing laws has not so far proved a weakness in anti-spam campaigns, but the enforcement of those laws has been largely ignored by state attorneys general. The Maryland measure does not add any enforcement resources, unsurprisingly, given Maryland failed to close a budget gap just last week. Other states are contemplating similar legislation.