Contents

Part 1--Introduction                                                                                                             1

1............ Short title [see Note 1] ........................................................................ 1

2............ Commencement ................................................................................... 1

3............ Simplified outline ................................................................................ 2

4............ Definitions .......................................................................................... 3

5............ Electronic messages ............................................................................ 8

6............ Commercial electronic messages ......................................................... 9

7............ Australian link ................................................................................... 10

8............ Authorising the sending of electronic messages ................................ 11

9............ Sending of electronic messages--carriage service providers ............ 12

10.......... Continuity of partnerships ................................................................. 12

11.......... Extended meaning of use .................................................................. 12

12.......... Crown to be bound ........................................................................... 12

13.......... Extension to external Territories ........................................................ 12

14.......... Extra-territorial application ................................................................ 12

Part 2--Rules about sending commercial electronic messages                  13

15.......... Simplified outline .............................................................................. 13

16.......... Unsolicited commercial electronic messages must not be sent .......... 13

17.......... Commercial electronic messages must include accurate sender information              15

18.......... Commercial electronic messages must contain a functional unsubscribe facility       16

Part 3--Rules about address-harvesting software and harvested-address lists    19

19.......... Simplified outline .............................................................................. 19

20.......... Address-harvesting software and harvested-address lists must not be supplied        19

21.......... Address-harvesting software and harvested-address lists must not be acquired        20

22.......... Address-harvesting software and harvested-address lists must not be used              21

Part 4--Civil penalties                                                                                                        23

23.......... Simplified outline .............................................................................. 23

24.......... Pecuniary penalties for contravention of civil penalty provisions ...... 23

25.......... Maximum penalties for contravention of civil penalty provisions ..... 24

26.......... Civil action for recovery of pecuniary penalties ................................ 26

27.......... Criminal proceedings not to be brought for contravention of civil penalty provisions               27

28.......... Ancillary orders--compensation ....................................................... 27

29.......... Ancillary orders--recovery of financial benefit ................................ 28

30.......... Schedule 3 (infringement notices) ..................................................... 28

Part 5--Injunctions                                                                                                              29

31.......... Simplified outline .............................................................................. 29

32.......... Injunctions ........................................................................................ 29

33.......... Interim injunctions ............................................................................ 29

34.......... Discharge etc. of injunctions ............................................................. 30

35.......... Certain limits on granting injunctions not to apply ............................ 30

36.......... Other powers of the Federal Court unaffected .................................. 31

Part 6--Enforceable undertakings                                                                            32

37.......... Simplified outline .............................................................................. 32

38.......... Acceptance of undertakings .............................................................. 32

39.......... Enforcement of undertakings ............................................................ 32

40.......... Assessment of compensation for breach of undertaking ................... 33

Part 7--Miscellaneous                                                                                                        34

41.......... Formal warnings--breach of civil penalty provision ........................ 34

42.......... Additional ACMA functions ............................................................ 34

43.......... Operation of State and Territory laws ............................................... 34

44.......... Implied freedom of political communication ..................................... 34

45.......... Giving effect to international conventions ......................................... 35

46.......... Review of operation of Act ............................................................... 35

47.......... Regulations ....................................................................................... 36

Schedule 1--Designated commercial electronic messages                            37

1............ Object ................................................................................................ 37

2............ Factual information ........................................................................... 37

3............ Government bodies, political parties, religious organisations and charities               38

4............ Educational institutions ..................................................................... 38

5............ Regulations ....................................................................................... 39

Schedule 2--Consent                                                                                                          40

1............ Object ................................................................................................ 40

2............ Basic definition ................................................................................. 40

3............ Users of account authorised to consent on behalf of relevant electronic account-holder            40

4............ When consent may be inferred from publication of an electronic address                 41

5............ Regulations about consent ................................................................. 42

6............ When withdrawal of consent takes effect .......................................... 42

Schedule 3--Infringement notices                                                                              44

1............ Object ................................................................................................ 44

2............ Definitions ........................................................................................ 44

3............ When an infringement notice can be given ........................................ 44

4............ Matters to be included in an infringement notice ............................... 45

5............ Amount of penalty ............................................................................ 46

6............ Withdrawal of an infringement notice ............................................... 47

7............ What happens if the penalty is paid ................................................... 48

8............ Effect of this Schedule on civil proceedings ...................................... 48

9............ Appointment of authorised person .................................................... 48

10.......... Regulations ....................................................................................... 49

Notes                                                                                                                                              51

An Act about spam, and for related purposes

  

Notes to the Spam Act 2003

Note 1

The Spam Act 2003 as shown in this compilation comprises Act No. 129, 2003 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

For application, saving or transitional provisions made by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Act 2005, see Act No. 45, 2005.

For all other relevant information pertaining to application, saving or transitional provisions see Table A.

Table of Acts

Act	Number and year	Date of Assent	Date of commencement	Application, saving or transitional provisions
Spam Act 2003	129, 2003	12 Dec 2003	Ss. 15-41, 43-46, Schedules 1 and 3: 10 Apr 2004 Remainder: Royal Assent
Australian Communications and Media Authority (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Act 2005	45, 2005	1 Apr 2005	Schedule 1 (items 121-123) and Schedule 4: 1 July 2005 (a) Schedule 2: (a)	Sch. 4 [see Note 1]
Statute Law Revision Act 2010	8, 2010	1 Mar 2010	Schedule 5 (item 137(a), (c)): (b)	--
Trade Practices Amendment (Australian Consumer Law) Act (No. 2) 2010	103, 2010	13 July 2010	Schedule 6 (items 1, 100-103): 1 Jan 2011	--
Acts Interpretation Amendment Act 2011	46, 2011	27 June 2011	Schedule 2 (item 1059) and Schedule 3 (items 10, 11): 27 Dec 2011	Sch. 3 (items 10, 11)

(a)     Subsection 2(1) (items 2, 3 and 10) of the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Act 2005 provide as follows:

                 (1)   Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.

 

Commencement information
Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
Provision(s)	Commencement	Date/Details
2.  Schedule 1	At the same time as section 6 of the Australian Communications and Media Authority Act 2005 commences.	1 July 2005
3.  Schedule 2	Immediately after the commencement of the provision(s) covered by table item 2.	1 July 2005
10.  Schedule 4	At the same time as section 6 of the Australian Communications and Media Authority Act 2005 commences.	1 July 2005

(b)     Subsection 2(1) (items 31 and 38) of the Statute Law Revision Act 2010 provides as follows:

                 (1)   Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.

 

Provision(s)	Commencement	Date/Details
31.  Schedule 5, items 1 to 51	The day this Act receives the Royal Assent.	1 March 2010
38.  Schedule 5, Parts 2 and 3	Immediately after the provision(s) covered by table item 31.	1 March 2010

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted  am. = amended     rep. = repealed     rs. = repealed and substituted
Provision affected	How affected
Part 1
S. 4.....................................	am. No. 45, 2005; Nos. 8 and 103, 2010; No. 46, 2011
S. 5 ....................................	am. No. 8, 2010
Part 4
S. 26...................................	am. No. 45, 2005
Ss. 28, 29...........................	am. No. 45, 2005
Part 5
S. 32...................................	am. No. 45, 2005
Part 6
Ss. 37-39...........................	am. No. 45, 2005
Part 7
S. 41...................................	am. No. 45, 2005
Heading to s. 42...............	am. No. 45, 2005
S. 42...................................	am. No. 45, 2005
Schedule 3
C. 2 .................................	am. No. 45, 2005
C. 4 ..................................		am. No. 45, 2005
C. 9 ..................................		am. No. 45, 2005

Table A

Application, saving or transitional provisions

Acts Interpretation Amendment Act 2011 (No. 46, 2011)

Schedule 3

10  Saving--appointments

The amendments made by Schedule 2 do not affect the validity of an appointment that was made under an Act before the commencement of this item and that was in force immediately before that commencement.

11  Transitional regulations

The Governor-General may make regulations prescribing matters of a transitional nature (including prescribing any saving or application provisions) relating to the amendments and repeals made by Schedules 1 and 2.