[Atlas Sneezed]

Even a hardcore Libertarian could not object to anti-spam legislation that permitted anyone to send anything they want, but only if they identify unsolicited bulk mailings with a code in then header to enable filtering. A simple requirement to provide accurate consumer information.

(Today, I got an email that started playing an audio/video commercial, and it kept playing even after I deleted it! I had to shout (I'll leave in this typo!) down the email software to stop the noise.)

[A.J.Armitage]

I certainly wouldn't object. It wouldn't ever actually be included, since they'd go off-shore, but at least you could track down the guilty parties and charge them with leaving out the code. I'm sure you could find lots of volunteers to help catch them, and even more to administer creative punishments.

[DAnconia55]

Even a hardcore Libertarian could not object to anti-spam legislation that permitted anyone to send anything they want, but only if they identify unsolicited bulk mailings with a code in then header to enable filtering

I object.

Is your junk mail in your mailbox identified so?

[Timesink]

Even a hardcore Libertarian could not object to anti-spam legislation that permitted anyone to send anything they want, but only if they identify unsolicited bulk mailings with a code in then header to enable filtering. A simple requirement to provide accurate consumer information.

Wouldn't work. They'd just move their servers to Canada or the Caribbean.

The only solution that would even slightly work would be to extend the "junk fax" law to cover spam as well. That would, of course, have the same problem as your suggestion, but at least it would FORCE the people involved to move out of the US or face unlimited class-action lawsuits, and also force (if written correctly) all major Net backbones to cut off access to the IP addresses of all spammers no matter where in the world they come from.