WASHINGTON, D.C. ?EUR??,,????'??+ On June 25, 2003, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced a new ruling on blast faxing. That ruling would make it illegal for all organizations, including trade associations, construction supplier companies, and contractors, to send fax advertisements without first getting permission from the receivers of those faxes. A coalition of business groups, including the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), enjoined the FCC to defer the August 25, 2003 implementation of the requirement. As a result, the FCC will delay implementing the ruling until January 1, 2005. ?EUR??,,????'??The rule went far beyond the intent of Congress, and now we have an opportunity to work with the FCC and Congress to address the regulation,?EUR??,,????'?? noted Kirk Pickerel, president and CEO of the ABC. The new rule derives from the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which generally prohibits anyone from sending a fax that contains an unsolicited advertisement. Under the new FCC rule, ?EUR??,,????'??advertisements?EUR??,,????'?? include information that solicits money in any form, e.g., bids, new products, seminars, apprenticeship registration, conventions, etc. With the delay in imposing the new rule, a prior FCC decision remains in effect: A party can send another party an unsolicited advertisement fax if the sender has an established business relationship with the recipient.