A Maryland judge has ruled the state's anti-spam law is unconstitutional.
The judge tossed out a suit against a New York e-mail marketer, saying the state law seeks to regulate commerce outside Maryland's borders.
Congress and more than three-dozen state legislatures have passed laws to limit junk e-mail advertising. Appeals courts in California and Washington state have upheld the spam laws and reversed lower court decisions similar to this latest judgment.
Maryland's law, unlike the federal one, lets residents who receive e-mail with certain false information sue for damages.
A top state prosecutor says Internet law is still in its infancy, so there will be "conflicting rulings."
The George Washington University law student who brought the case promises to appeal.