Another interesting legal issue yet to be decided under the Maryland Anti-Spam Act, MCEMA, is whether the statute’s damages provision is enforceable in light of the “due process” clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. The due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment provides that: “Nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.”
MCEMA Section 14-3003, fixes statutory damages at $1,000.00 per electronic mail received by an interactive service provider, and $500.00 per electronic mail received by an ordinary recipient. Maryland law recognizes “that a defendant also enjoys an additional constitutional right, under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, not to be subjected to an excessive punitive damages award.” Darcars Motors of Silver Spring, Inc. v. Borzym, 818 Md.App. 1159, 1186 (2003), citing, inter alia, BMW of North America v. Gore, 517 U.S. 559, 116 S.Ct. 1589 (1996).
The United States Supreme Court in the BMW v. Gore case held that the “guide posts” for considering the constitutionality of punitive damages under the 14th Amendment include an assessment of “(1) the degree of reprehensibility of the defendant's misconduct; (2) the disparity between the actual or potential harm suffered by the plaintiff and the punitive damages award; and (3) the award imposed in comparable cases.” Considering those “guide-posts” in some cases under MCEMA, the “degree of reprehensibility,” is fairly benign. Plaintiffs often contend that a defendant merely assisted in the transmission of unsolicited electronic mail – not particularly outrageous conduct warranting extremely harsh punishment. Reviewing the “disparity of actual harm when compared to the potential punitive damage award” as required by Gore shows a complete lack of relationship between actual harm and the punitive award. That is, MCEMA does not require any showing of actual harm suffered by anyone.
The Gore “comparable cases” component is instructive in showing how outrageously excessive the damages award can be in cases under MCEMA. Under Maryland Code Annotated Criminal Law Section 3-805.1(e)(2), the Attorney General is allowed to bring a civil action in cases of unsolicited commercial electronic mail and can claim only between $2.00 and $8.00 per electronic mail received by the “victim” of such electronic mail. Even under CAN-SPAM which, as shown in the preceding post has been held to preempt state statutes similar to MCEMA, the damages allowed are far more limited than the damages authorized under the Maryland Act. Under CAN-SPAM, 15 U.S.C. §7706(g), if an “Internet access service” brings a civil action, it may seek only actual damages, or $250.00 per e-mail that has false or misleading header or “from” line information, and $25.00 per e-mail that otherwise violates that Act (including e-mail that has a misleading “subject” line). The Act then allows for “aggravated” damages (of up to three (3) times the statutory damages ($750.00 or $75.00) depending on the character of the e-mail), and for the reduction of damages under certain circumstances.
Remarkably, under well settled Maryland law, a victim of an accident caused by a drunk driver cannot obtain punitive damages without proof of the specific intent to injure the particular individual who is injured. See, e.g. Owens-Illinois, Inc. v. Zenobia, 325 Md. 420, 450-463, 601 A.2d 633, 647-654 (1992) (overruling a long line of cases which, in certain ill-defined types of tort actions, permitted the recovery of punitive damages on an "implied malice" basis). Under MCEMA, however, an entity that provides assistance in the transmission of electronic mail, whether or not it has actual knowledge of the electronic mail or its destination in Maryland, is exposed to being hauled into Court in Maryland to face severe punitive damages whether or not there are actual damages suffered by anyone.
Because MCEMA may subject out-of-state persons and entities to these damages, without any requirement that those persons knew they were sending mail into Maryland or even any requirement of actual damages, MCEMA defendants should argue that MCEMA violates the due process clause of the 14th Amendment, rendering its enforcement unconstitutional.
MCEMA Section 14-3003, fixes statutory damages at $1,000.00 per electronic mail received by an interactive service provider, and $500.00 per electronic mail received by an ordinary recipient. Maryland law recognizes “that a defendant also enjoys an additional constitutional right, under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, not to be subjected to an excessive punitive damages award.” Darcars Motors of Silver Spring, Inc. v. Borzym, 818 Md.App. 1159, 1186 (2003), citing, inter alia, BMW of North America v. Gore, 517 U.S. 559, 116 S.Ct. 1589 (1996).
The United States Supreme Court in the BMW v. Gore case held that the “guide posts” for considering the constitutionality of punitive damages under the 14th Amendment include an assessment of “(1) the degree of reprehensibility of the defendant's misconduct; (2) the disparity between the actual or potential harm suffered by the plaintiff and the punitive damages award; and (3) the award imposed in comparable cases.” Considering those “guide-posts” in some cases under MCEMA, the “degree of reprehensibility,” is fairly benign. Plaintiffs often contend that a defendant merely assisted in the transmission of unsolicited electronic mail – not particularly outrageous conduct warranting extremely harsh punishment. Reviewing the “disparity of actual harm when compared to the potential punitive damage award” as required by Gore shows a complete lack of relationship between actual harm and the punitive award. That is, MCEMA does not require any showing of actual harm suffered by anyone.
The Gore “comparable cases” component is instructive in showing how outrageously excessive the damages award can be in cases under MCEMA. Under Maryland Code Annotated Criminal Law Section 3-805.1(e)(2), the Attorney General is allowed to bring a civil action in cases of unsolicited commercial electronic mail and can claim only between $2.00 and $8.00 per electronic mail received by the “victim” of such electronic mail. Even under CAN-SPAM which, as shown in the preceding post has been held to preempt state statutes similar to MCEMA, the damages allowed are far more limited than the damages authorized under the Maryland Act. Under CAN-SPAM, 15 U.S.C. §7706(g), if an “Internet access service” brings a civil action, it may seek only actual damages, or $250.00 per e-mail that has false or misleading header or “from” line information, and $25.00 per e-mail that otherwise violates that Act (including e-mail that has a misleading “subject” line). The Act then allows for “aggravated” damages (of up to three (3) times the statutory damages ($750.00 or $75.00) depending on the character of the e-mail), and for the reduction of damages under certain circumstances.
Remarkably, under well settled Maryland law, a victim of an accident caused by a drunk driver cannot obtain punitive damages without proof of the specific intent to injure the particular individual who is injured. See, e.g. Owens-Illinois, Inc. v. Zenobia, 325 Md. 420, 450-463, 601 A.2d 633, 647-654 (1992) (overruling a long line of cases which, in certain ill-defined types of tort actions, permitted the recovery of punitive damages on an "implied malice" basis). Under MCEMA, however, an entity that provides assistance in the transmission of electronic mail, whether or not it has actual knowledge of the electronic mail or its destination in Maryland, is exposed to being hauled into Court in Maryland to face severe punitive damages whether or not there are actual damages suffered by anyone.
Because MCEMA may subject out-of-state persons and entities to these damages, without any requirement that those persons knew they were sending mail into Maryland or even any requirement of actual damages, MCEMA defendants should argue that MCEMA violates the due process clause of the 14th Amendment, rendering its enforcement unconstitutional.
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