This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2005, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah's attorney general asked a federal court Wednesday to dismiss a lawsuit aimed at blocking Utah's Child Protection Registry. The registry, which went into effect July 15, was designed to protect children from receiving unsolicited e-mails promoting such things as pornography, alcohol or tobacco. The Free Speech Coalition, based in Canoga Park, Calif., filed a federal suit in mid-November. "This lawsuit shows the pornographers' true colors," Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said in a statement. "They claim a 'right' to market porn to adults, but by challenging our Child Protection Registry, they have proven their real intent to force smut on our children in our homes and schools." The Free Speech Coalition contends Utah's registry is flawed and conflicts with the federal 2003 CAN-SPAM Act. In that act, Congress considered a "Do Not E-mail" list but backed off when the Federal Trade Commission reportedly found that it was not feasible. Utah's registry is still in operation. People can register their e-mail for free. Spammers must remove the registered e-mail addresses from their lists, using a database that charges 0.005 cents for every address.
