Unnamed Administration sources reported that Lionel said:
[opt-in bulk email]
Has anyone ever actually come across such a contract in real life or are they just urban myths?
Urban myth. If you make damn sure that you clearly mark your bulk mail with the website/organisation at which your user subscibed, & you record the *way* they subscribed[0], you should be fine. It's also vitally important that you respond promptly to email that arrives at your domain's 'abuse@' address.
[0] Eg: IP address & time stamp from when they hit the 'subscribe me' button on a web form, copy of the signed paper form they sent in, etc.
Likely insufficient. Save your hide by getting verification on every entry; i.e: 1) Get request. 2) Send email to alleged requester. 3) Do nothing unless/until you get back a confirming "yes, I do want" reply. This is what spammers disparage as "double out-in"... -- A host is a host from coast to coast.................wb8foz@nrk.com & no one will talk to a host that's close........[v].(301) 56-LINUX Unless the host (that isn't close).........................pob 1433 is busy, hung or dead....................................20915-1433