§ 6-47-2. Unsolicited electronic mail.
(a) No person or entity may initiate the transmission of a commercial electronic mail
message from a computer located in Rhode Island or to an electronic mail address that
the sender knows, or has reason to know, is held by a Rhode Island resident unless
that person or entity establishes a toll-free telephone number or valid sender operated
return e-mail address that the recipient of the unsolicited documents may call or
e-mail to notify the sender not to e-mail any further unsolicited documents.
(b) All unsolicited commercial electronic messages subject to this section shall include
a statement informing the recipient of the toll-free telephone number that the recipient
may call, or a valid return address to which the recipient may write or e-mail, as
the case may be, notifying the sender not to e-mail the recipient any further unsolicited
commercial electronic mail messages to the e-mail address or addresses specified by
the recipient.
(c) Upon notification by a recipient of his or her request not to receive any further
unsolicited commercial electronic mail messages, no person or entity subject to subsection
(a) shall e-mail, or cause to be e-mailed, any unsolicited documents to that recipient.
(d) No person or entity may initiate the transmission of a commercial electronic mail
message from a computer located in Rhode Island or to an electronic mail address that
the sender knows, or has reason to know, is held by a Rhode Island resident, that
fraudulently uses a third-party's internet domain name without permission of the third
party, or otherwise fraudulently misrepresents any information in identifying the
point of origin or the transmission path of a commercial electronic mail message.
(e) As used in this section, "commercial electronic messages� means any e-mailed document
or documents consisting of commercial advertising material, the principal purpose
of which is to promote the for-profit sale or lease of goods or services to the recipient
and that meet both of the following requirements:
(1) The documents are addressed to a recipient with whom the initiator does not have an
existing business or personal relationship.
(2) The documents are not sent at the request of, or with the express consent of, the
recipient.
(f) As used in this section, "e-mail� or "caused to be e-mailed� does not include or refer
to the transmission of any documents by a telecommunications utility or internet service
provider to the extent that the telecommunications utility or internet service provider
merely carries that transmission over its network.
(g) For purposes of this section, a person or entity has reason to know that the intended
recipient of a commercial electronic mail message is a Rhode Island resident if the
recipient has requested of the sender not to receive any further unsolicited commercial
electronic messages.
(h) Any person or entity who or that violates the provisions of this chapter shall be
liable for damages to the recipient of an unsolicited commercial electronic mail message
in the amount of one hundred dollars ($100) for each such violation. In addition,
the recipient may recover reasonable attorney's fees and costs.