Commonwealth Consolidated ActsAct No. 129 of 2003 as amended
This compilation was prepared on 27 December 2011
taking into account amendments up to Act No. 46 of 2011
The text of any of those
amendments not in force
on that date is appended in the Notes section
The operation of amendments that have been incorporated may
be
affected by application provisions that are set out in the Notes section
Prepared by the Office of
Legislative Drafting and Publishing
,
Attorney-General's Department, Canberra
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
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 |
Date |
Date of commencement |
Application, saving or transitional provisions |
|
129, 2003 |
12 Dec 2003 |
Ss. 15-41, |
|
|
|
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) |
Sch. 4 [see Note 1] |
|
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, |
-- |
|
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 |
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Provision affected |
How affected |
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Part 1 |
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S. 4..................................... |
am. No. 45, 2005; Nos. 8 and 103, 2010; No. 46, 2011 |
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S. 5 .................................... |
am. No. 8, 2010 |
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Part 4 |
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S. 26................................... |
am. No. 45, 2005 |
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Ss. 28, 29........................... |
am. No. 45, 2005 |
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Part 5 |
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S. 32................................... |
am. No. 45, 2005 |
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Part 6 |
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Ss. 37-39........................... |
am. No. 45, 2005 |
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Part 7 |
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S. 41................................... |
am. No. 45, 2005 |
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Heading to s. 42............... |
am. No. 45, 2005 |
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S. 42................................... |
am. No. 45, 2005 |
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Schedule 3 |
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C. 2 ................................. |
am. No. 45, 2005 |
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C. 4 .................................. |
am. No. 45, 2005 |
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C. 9 .................................. |
am. No. 45, 2005 |
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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.