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Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!rutgers!lll-lcc!ptsfa!hoptoad!academ!uhnix1!sugar!splut!jay
From: jay@splut.UUCP (Jay Maynard)
Newsgroups: comp.misc,misc.legal
Subject: Re: Sales computer clamp-down
Message-ID: <69@splut.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 20-Aug-87 15:21:29 EDT
Article-I.D.: splut.69
Posted: Thu Aug 20 15:21:29 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 23-Aug-87 11:23:46 EDT
References: <831@wrcola.UUCP>
Organization: Confederate Microsystems, League City, TX
Lines: 25
Keywords: furious
Summary: Not in Texas...
Xref: mnetor comp.misc:1086 misc.legal:2558

In article <831@wrcola.UUCP>, kathy@wrcola.UUCP (K.M.Vincent) writes:
> [...] The calling
> computer can, in fact, call and HOLD ON TO MY LINE AS LONG
> AS IT WANTS.  There is no way for me to disconnect it...
> 
> And right now, according to the supervisor, there's nothing to
> stop anyone from doing that.  It's perfectly legal.

Not in Texas, it isn't. There's a law here saying that computer-generated
sales pitches can't call numbers either sequentially or randomly, but
instead must work from a hand-keyed list, and that they must release the
called phone line within 10 seconds of the party hanging up.

I don't know what the criminal penalties involved are, but offenders can be
disconnected immediately by the phone company (and, at least in the case I
know of, are quickly).

Maybe you should write your state representative, and urge a similar law
there.

-- 
Jay Maynard, K5ZC...>splut!< | uucp: ...!seismo!soma!uhnix1!sugar!splut!jay
"Don't ask ME about Unix...  | GEnie: JAYMAYNARD            (...e-i-e-i-o!)
I speak SNA!"                | CI$: 71036,1603   FidoNet: SysOp @106/64
The opinions herein are shared by neither of my cats, much less anyone else.