The menace of unsolicited email is due to hit the floor of the US Senate as it moves to take action against the practice.

Senator Conrad Burns, who will be bringing the anti-spam motion, confirmed that a proposed measure should be passed by 16 May, which could lead to further action in Europe and elsewhere.

Burns described the Bill as being "in pretty good shape right now".

A total of 22 US states have passed anti-spam measures, but the Senate has seen intense lobbying by direct marketers which are against any such action.

Commercial email will not become illegal, but companies that use deceptive titles or fail to reply to recipients' requests to be taken off their lists will become targets.

Any bill would have the endorsement of the Federal Trade Commission and the Attorney General's office, allowing fines of up to $1.5m to be imposed on offenders.