SPAM stands for SPurious Advertising Material, and is a term applied to any unsolicited or unrequested business email sent to any email address. So, whilst a mailshot advertising campaign is a perfectly legitimate business advertising process using conventional post, it is outlawed on the Internet. The penalty is an instant ban by your ISP and/or Website Hosting organisation, which could result in instant and permanent closure of your website and loss of Email services. You are presumed guilty if anyone complains to your ISP or Web Host, and this guilt will be regarded as "proven" if you have engaged in any type of bulk Email campaigns. So be warned. Indulging in SPAM could have extremely serious consequences for your continued online existence. .

If you don't have "express authority" to send an email or newsletter to an email address, you are guilty of "spamming" and if complaints are received by your ISP or Hosting company, your website and email facilities could be closed down without warning. "Spamming" is now an offence under European Community law and there are signs that it could also be outlawed in the United States.

Note that sending a non-business, personal email to another individual is not normally considered a spamming offence.