Horror Story: Court Says Stepehn King's SMS Campaign May Be Illegal

According to a report in Online Media Daily, an appellate court ruled Friday that book publisher Simon & Schuster might have violated federal law in 2006 by allegedly sending unsolicited text messages promoting Stephen King's "Cell."

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals held that sending SMS messages potentially violates the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which prohibits companies from using automatic telephone dialing systems to make calls to cell phones unless the owners have consented.

The decision appears to mark the first time that a federal appellate court has said that the telephone law applies to text messages. The ruling could have far-reaching effects on mobile marketers who send SMS ads.

emily | 6:38 PM | SMS and Litterature |
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