The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is alarmed at the implications of the new law out of Sacramento, under which even an established business relationship is no longer enough to render a fax legal, absent prior written permission:

Joy Harmon Sperling, an attorney with Pitney Hardin in Florham Park, N.J., who represents banking clients, said the problem is that national banks want to broadcast fax interest rate sheets to thousands of mortgage brokers across the country, but California's rule creates a problem.

Her advice to clients: "I would start getting clients lined up to have written permission. Do not fax into California without written permission," she said.

More on junk fax laws: Jul. 13; OL Dec. 15, 2004, etc.