Ben Isaacson

Edited By Gabrielle Mosquera Congress' November 2001 decision to extend for two more years a moratorium on Internet access and e-commerce taxes presents a boon for e-commerce. But Ben Isaacson, executive director of The Direct Marketing Association's (The DMA) Association for Interactive Marketing, notes that once the moratorium expires in November 2003, the next one may be harder to pass. "A few years ago, we had the full weight of Congress behind the growth of the Internet and the catalog industry," he says. "Today that weight has dissipated." Another obstacle to moratorium approval is the increasing momentum of the Simplified Sales Tax Project.

By Paul Barbagallo, assistant editor, Target Marketing & Inside Direct Mail The Direct Marketing Association (The DMA) unveiled Monday new guidelines regarding the sending of commercial solicitations by e-mail and the posting of Web site privacy policies, a shift in the organization's policy from several years ago. Initially, The DMA deemed it acceptable to prospect to an e-mail address unless its owner has requested otherwise. But the new guidelines prohibit prospecting with non-permission-based e-mail lists. According to The DMA, the new guidelines are part of a continuing effort to promote higher ethical standards among marketers. "Responsible marketers want to build trust with their customers