Maryland judge strikes down anti-spam law News
Maryland judge strikes down anti-spam law

[JURIST] A Maryland judge has struck down as unconstitutional Maryland's 2002 Commercial Electronic Mail Act [PDF], the first state law to punish senders of junk e-mail, commonly known as spam. Judge Durke G. Thompson of the Montgomery County Circuit Court dismissed a case brought against a New York e-mail distribution company by Eric Menhart, a George Washington University Law School student. Thompson ruled on December 9 that the law unconstitutionally sought to limit the business actions of individuals outside of state borders, and thus exceeded the authority of the state. The current law on internet spam is contradictory and confused, but Menhart says he to appeal. The Baltimore Sun has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Egypt President Anwar Sadat visits Israel

On November 19, 1977, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat visited Israel, becoming the first leader of an Arab nation to officially visit. Two years later, President Sadat became the first Arab leader to recognize Israel by signing the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty. Read President Sadat's address to the Israeli Knesset.

Jay Treaty signed

On November 19, 1794, US Chief Justice John Jay and British foreign secretary Lord Grenville signed a treaty in Philadelphia under which British forces pulled out of the disputed Northwest Territory. Review the Jay Treaty.