Can spam be sliced in 2004? Bloomberg Boot Camp, a report on today's technology. New laws and lawsuits are taking aim at junk email. A new federal law takes effect next week designed to punish those who send email with falsified headers or sexually oriented messages that aren't labeled as such. On top of that... .Microsoft and the New York Attorney General have filed suit against three companies and four individuals... .seeking millions in penalties for allegedly using deceptive junk email practices. Microsoft senior counsel Tim Cranton...

"Spam is one of the top complaints that we get from our customers and it's really challenging the viability of the Internet itself. It's through partnerships between government and private industry that we can really make a difference here."

Not everyone thinks laws or legal actions will make a dent in the spam glut. Symantec CEO John Thompson says using technology to charge for the sending of commercial email is the best solution. Symantec makes anti-spam software tools. Microsoft has begun including anti-spam technology in its email programs and services as well. Cranton says the suits can help by taking some of the profits away from big time spammers...

"We need to bring strong enforcement actions and we need to also work through technology, strong legislation and consumer education. And through all these different pieces... we can really start making a difference and hopefully turn the tide on spam."

Bloomberg Boot Camp, I'm Fred Fishkin.