The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said that it had decided to postpone regulations for unsolicited faxes generally used to send sales pitches and advertisements, according to the New York Times.

The commission will not require companies to

obtain written permission before they send such faxes, as required by the regulations, until Jan. 1, 2005. The fax regulations had been set to take effect on Aug. 18.

The guidelines were passed in June along with

other telemarketing rules, including those creating the do-not-call registry, which takes effect Oct. 1.

The fax rules will require businesses to receive consent from individuals and other companies before they send unsolicited faxes; these faxes are often sent to hundreds of numbers at once, according to the Times.

This decision follows a petition by the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) and other associations contending that the FCC had not provided adequate time to comment on, and comply with, the new rules. The delay of more than one year will allow dealers, as well as state and metro dealer associations, to fully learn the rules and obtain

permissions, according to NADA.