In Britain, Spammers Will Pay 

LONDON -- Britain Thursday became the second country in Europe to criminalize spam, the unwanted barrage of e-mail and mobile phone text messages promising riches, cheap home loans and a better sex life.

The unsolicited messages, which industry groups say account for more than half of all e-mails sent, have become a time- and resource-wasting scourge of Internet users everywhere.

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Under the new British law, spammers face an $8,057 fine if convicted in a magistrates court. The fine from a jury trial would be unlimited. Spammers would not face prison, according to the new law, introduced by Communications Minister Stephen Timms Thursday.

Spam is defined under the law as any messages sent to consumers without having first established a consensual customer relationship.

"These regulations will help combat the global nuisance of unsolicited e-mails and texts by enshrining in law rights that give consumers more say over who can use their personal details," Timms said in a statement.

Britain's Office of the Information Commissioner will enforce the regulations, which go into effect on Dec. 11.

The law does not however cover workplace e-mail addresses. Anti-spam proponents had been calling for a blanket law that would criminalize all forms of spam.

The European Union passed a directive last year and Italian lawmakers this month imposed tough new regulations to fine spammers up to $101,600 and impose a maximum prison term of three years.

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