BILL NUMBER: AB 1629 AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 14, 1998 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 12, 1998 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Members Miller and Cunneen (Coauthors: Assembly Members Alquist, Baldwin, Bordonaro, Campbell,Leach, and Lempert)Frusetta, Leach, Lempert, Morrissey, and Runner) JANUARY 5, 1998 An act to add Section 17538.45 to the Business and Professions Code, and to amend Section 502 of the Penal Code, relating to electronic mail. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1629, as amended, Miller. Electronic mail. (1) Existing law prohibits a person conducting business in this state from faxing unsolicited advertising material, unless certain conditions are satisfied. This bill would also prohibit a registered user of an electronic mail service provider, as defined, from using or causing to be used the provider's service or equipment in violation of the provider's published policy prohibiting or restricting the use of its service of equipment for the initiation of unsolicited electronic mail advertisements. It would also prohibit any individual, corporation, or other entity from using or causing to be used, by initiating an unsolicited electronic mail advertisement, an electronic mail service provider's service or equipment in violation of the provider's published policy prohibiting or restricting the use of its service or equipment to deliver unsolicited electronic mail advertisements to its registered users. It would authorize any electronic mail service provider whose published policy is violated as provided in these provisions to bring a civil action to recover damages, as specified, and would provide that the prevailing party in that action shall be entitled to recover reasonable attorney's fees. (2) Existing law provides for the regulation of advertising and provides that any violation of those provisions is a crime.ThisThis bill, by creating additional prohibitions with regard to advertising, would expand the scope of an existing crime, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program. (3) Existing law makes it a crime to knowingly and without permission tamper with, interfere with, damage, or gain unlawful access to certain computers, computer systems, and computer data. This bill would, in addition, make it a crime to knowingly and without permission use the Internet domain name, as defined, of another individual, corporation, or entity in connection with the sending of one or more electronic mail messages and to thereby disrupt or cause the disruption of computer services or deny or cause the denial of computer services to an authorized user of a computer, computer system, or computer network.ByBy creating a new crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (4) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 17538.45 is added to the Business and Professions Code, to read: 17538.45. (a) For purposes of this section, the following words have the following meanings: (1) "Electronic mail advertisement" means any electronic mail message, the principal purpose of which is to promote, directly or indirectly, the sale or other distribution of goods or services. (2) "Unsolicited electronic mail advertisement" means any electronic mail advertisement that meets both of the following requirements: (A) It is addressed to a recipient with whom the initiator does not have an existing business or personal relationship. (B) It is not sent at the request of or with the express consent of the recipient. (3) "Electronic mail service provider" means any business or organization qualified to do business in California that provides registered users the ability to send or receive electronic mail. (4) "Initiation" of an unsolicited electronic mail advertisement refers to the action by the initial sender of the electronic mail advertisement. It does not refer to the actions of any intervening electronic mail service provider that may handle or retransmit the electronic message. (5) "Publish" means to do either of the following with respect to the electronic mail service provider's policy on unsolicited electronic mail advertisements: (A) Make that policy available upon request in written form, at no charge. (B) Display that policy through an on-line notice on the Internet home page of the electronic mail service provider, or a page accessible through a conspicuous link on the Internet home page of the electronic mail service provider. (6) "Registered user" means any individual, corporation, or other entity that maintains an electronic mail address with an electronic mail service provider. (b) No registered user of an electronic mail service provider shall use or cause to be used that electronic mail service provider's service or equipment in violation of that electronic mail service provider's published policy prohibiting or restricting the use of its service or equipment for the initiation of unsolicited electronic mail advertisements. (c) No individual, corporation, or other entity shall use or cause to be used, by initiating an unsolicited electronic mail advertisement, an electronic mail service provider's service or equipment in violation of that electronic mail service provider's published policy prohibiting or restricting the use of its service or equipment to deliver unsolicited electronic mail advertisements to its registered users. (d) An electronic mail service provider shall not be required to create a policy prohibiting or restricting the use of its service or equipment for the initiation or delivery of unsolicited electronic mail advertisements. (e) (1) In addition to any action available under Section 17536, any electronic mail service provider whose published policy on unsolicited electronic mail advertisements is violated as provided in this section may bring a civil action to recover the actual monetary loss suffered by that provider by reason of that violation, or fifty dollars ($50) for each electronic mail message initiated or delivered in violation of this section, up to a maximum of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) per day, whichever amount is greater. (2) The prevailing party in any action brought under paragraph (1) shall be entitled to recover reasonable attorney's fees. SEC. 2. Section 502 of the Penal Code is amended to read: 502. (a) It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this section to expand the degree of protection afforded to individuals, businesses, and governmental agencies from tampering, interference, damage, and unauthorized access to lawfully created computer data and computer systems. The Legislature finds and declares that the proliferation of computer technology has resulted in a concomitant proliferation of computer crime and other forms of unauthorized access to computers, computer systems, and computer data. The Legislature further finds and declares that protection of the integrity of all types and forms of lawfully created computers, computer systems, and computer data is vital to the protection of the privacy of individuals as well as to the well-being of financial institutions, business concerns, governmental agencies, and others within this state that lawfully utilize those computers, computer systems, and data. (b) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings: (1) "Access" means to gain entry to, instruct, or communicate with the logical, arithmetical, or memory function resources of a computer, computer system, or computer network. (2) "Computer network" means any systemwhichthat provides communications between one or more computer systems and input/output devices including, but not limited to, display terminals and printers connected by telecommunication facilities. (3) "Computer program or software" means a set of instructions or statements, and related data, that when executed in actual or modified form, cause a computer, computer system, or computer network to perform specified functions. (4) "Computer services" includes, but is not limited to, computer time, data processing, or storage functions, or other uses of a computer, computer system, or computer network. (5) "Computer system" means a device or collection of devices, including support devices and excluding calculatorswhichthat are not programmable and capable of being used in conjunction with external files, one or more of which contain computer programs, electronic instructions, input data, and output data, that performs functions including, but not limited to, logic, arithmetic, data storage and retrieval, communication, and control. (6) "Data" means a representation of information, knowledge, facts, concepts, computer software, computer programs or instructions. Data may be in any form, in storage media, or as stored in the memory of the computer or in transit or presented on a display device. (7) "Supporting documentation" includes, but is not limited to, all information, in any form, pertaining to the design, construction, classification, implementation, use, or modification of a computer, computer system, computer network, computer program, or computer software, which information is not generally available to the public and is necessary for the operation of a computer, computer system, computer network, computer program, or computer software. (8) "Injury" means any alteration, deletion, damage, or destruction of a computer system, computer network, computer program, or data caused by the access. (9) "Victim expenditure" means any expenditure reasonably and necessarily incurred by the owner or lessee to verify that a computer system, computer network, computer program, or data was or was not altered, deleted, damaged, or destroyed by the access. (10) "Computer contaminant" means any set of computer instructions that are designed to modify, damage, destroy, record, or transmit information within a computer, computer system, or computer network without the intent or permission of the owner of the information. They include, but are not limited to, a group of computer instructions commonly called viruses or worms,whichthat are self-replicating or self-propagating and are designed to contaminate other computer programs or computer data, consume computer resources, modify, destroy, record, or transmit data, or in some other fashion usurp the normal operation of the computer, computer system, or computer network. (11) "Internet domain name" means a globally unique, hierarchical reference to an Internet host or service, assigned through centralized Internet naming authorities, comprising a series of character strings separated by periods, with the rightmost character string specifying the top of the hierarchy. (c) Except as provided in subdivision (h), any person who commits any of the following acts is guilty of a public offense: (1) Knowingly accesses and without permission alters, damages, deletes, destroys, or otherwise uses any data, computer, computer system, or computer network in order to either (A) devise or execute any scheme or artifice to defraud, deceive, or extort, or (B) wrongfully control or obtain money, property, or data. (2) Knowingly accesses and without permission takes, copies, or makes use of any data from a computer, computer system, or computer network, or takes or copies any supporting documentation, whether existing or residing internal or external to a computer, computer system, or computer network. (3) Knowingly and without permission uses or causes to be used computer services. (4) Knowingly accesses and without permission adds, alters, damages, deletes, or destroys any data, computer software, or computer programs which reside or exist internal or external to a computer, computer system, or computer network. (5) Knowingly and without permission disrupts or causes the disruption of computer services or denies or causes the denial of computer services to an authorized user of a computer, computer system, or computer network. (6) Knowingly and without permission provides or assists in providing a means of accessing a computer, computer system, or computer network in violation of this section. (7) Knowingly and without permission accesses or causes to be accessed any computer, computer system, or computer network. (8) Knowingly introduces any computer contaminant into any computer, computer system, or computer network. (9) Knowingly and without permission uses the Internet domain name of another individual, corporation, or entity in connection with the sending of one or more electronic mail messages and thereby disrupts or causes the disruption of computer services or denies or causes the denial of computer services to an authorized user of a computer, computer system, or computer network. (d) (1) Any person who violates any of the provisions of paragraph (1), (2), (4), or (5) of subdivision (c) is punishable by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by imprisonment in the state prison for 16 months, or two or three years, or by both that fine and imprisonment, or by a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment. (2) Any person who violates paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) is punishable as follows: (A) For the first violationwhichthat does not result in injury, and where the value of the computer services used does not exceed four hundred dollars ($400), by a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment. (B) For any violationwhichthat results in a victim expenditure in an amount greater than five thousand dollars ($5,000) or in an injury, or if the value of the computer services used exceeds four hundred dollars ($400), or for any second or subsequent violation, by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by imprisonment in the state prison for 16 months, or two or three years, or by both that fine and imprisonment, or by a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment. (3) Any person who violates paragraph (6), (7), (8), or (9) of subdivision (c) is punishable as follows: (A) For a first violationwhichthat does not result in injury, an infraction punishable by a fine not exceeding two hundred fifty dollars ($250). (B) For any violationwhichthat results in a victim expenditure in an amount not greater than five thousand dollars ($5,000), or for a second or subsequent violation, by a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment. (C) For any violationwhichthat results in a victim expenditure in an amount greater than five thousand dollars ($5,000), by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or by imprisonment in the state prison for 16 months, or two or three years, or by both that fine and imprisonment, or by a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars ($5,000), or by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment. (e) (1) In addition to any other civil remedy available, the owner or lessee of the computer, computer system, computer network, computer program, or data may bring a civil action against any person convicted under this section for compensatory damages, including any expenditure reasonably and necessarily incurred by the owner or lessee to verify that a computer system, computer network, computer program, or data was or was not altered, damaged, or deleted by the access. For the purposes of actions authorized by this subdivision, the conduct of an unemancipated minor shall be imputed to the parent or legal guardian having control or custody of the minor, pursuant to the provisions of Section 1714.1 of the Civil Code. (2) In any action brought pursuant to this subdivision the court may award reasonable attorney's fees to a prevailing party. (3) A community college, state university, or academic institution accredited in this state is required to include computer-related crimes as a specific violation of college or university student conduct policies and regulations that may subject a student to disciplinary sanctions up to and including dismissal from the academic institution. This paragraph shall not apply to the University of California unless the Board of Regents adopts a resolution to that effect. (f) This section shall not be construed to preclude the applicability of any other provision of the criminal law of this state which applies or may apply to any transaction, nor shall it make illegal any employee labor relations activities that are within the scope and protection of state or federal labor laws. (g) Any computer, computer system, computer network, or any software or data, owned by the defendant,whichthat is used during the commission of any public offense described in subdivision (c) or any computer, owned by the defendant, which is used as a repository for the storage of software or data illegally obtained in violation of subdivision (c) shall be subject to forfeiture, as specified in Section 502.01. (h) (1) Subdivision (c) does not apply to any person who accesses his or her employer's computer system, computer network, computer program, or data when acting within the scope of his or her lawful employment. (2) Paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) does not apply to any employee who accesses or uses his or her employer's computer system, computer network, computer program, or data when acting outside the scope of his or her lawful employment, so long as the employee's activities do not cause an injury, as defined in paragraph (8) of subdivision (b), to the employer or another, or so long as the value of supplies and computer services, as defined in paragraph (4) of subdivision (b), which are used do not exceed an accumulated total of one hundred dollars ($100). (i) No activity exempted from prosecution under paragraph (2) of subdivision (h) which incidentally violates paragraph (2), (4), or (7) of subdivision (c) shall be prosecuted under those paragraphs. (j) For purposes of bringing a civil or a criminal action under this section, a person who causes, by any means, the access of a computer, computer system, or computer network in one jurisdiction from another jurisdiction is deemed to have personally accessed the computer, computer system, or computer network in each jurisdiction. (k) In determining the terms and conditions applicable to a person convicted of a violation of this section the court shall consider the following: (1) The court shall consider prohibitions on access to and use of computers. (2) Except as otherwise required by law, the court shall consider alternate sentencing, including community service, if the defendant shows remorse and recognition of the wrongdoing, and an inclination not to repeat the offense. SEC. 3. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of Section 17556 of the Government Code, or changes the definition of a crime within the meaning of Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution. Notwithstanding Section 17580 of the Government Code, unless otherwise specified, the provisions of this act shall become operative on the same date that the act takes effect pursuant to the California Constitution.