On September 15th in Pennsylvania, and then next summer, the national "Do Not Call Registry" established by the federal government is coming up for renewal after five years. That means if you were like me and were one of the first ones to sign up, you better keep track of time because some of your personal privacy is set to expire.

What a contemporary concept, the expiration of personal privacy. It's like you bought a dated carton of milk. If you do not pay attention to the expiration date, you might get sick from the pervasive calls from boiler rooms offering you credit cards, trips to Las Vegas, magazine and newspaper subscriptions, and deals that "You have already won!"

Remember how glad you were when the 'Do Not Call' list was introduced, knowing you could enjoy dinner in peace without having someone ask you whether you were satisfied with your long distance provider? Well, it turns out that feeling of calm may soon be coming to an end.

In Pennsylvania, the law expires on September 15, according to Newsweek, which says the five-year limit was put in place to purge the list of people who move or change numbers. [Update: the Federal 'Do Not Call' list reaches its five-year point next summer, meaning those who signed up early will begin to be dropped from the list in mid-2008.] Most people who signed up for the list, including myself, probably have no idea that there is a time limit, and that creates a big opportunity for telemarketers.

Tim Searcy, CEO of the American Teleservices Association, told Newsweek, "Will we attempt to touch people no longer on the list? Of course." This is truly frightening. I do not want telemarketers 'touching' me during dinner -- or any time, really.

Though hanging up on a telemarketer feels good, it's more effective to put your name the 'Do Not Call' list, which you can access here. Some states also operate their own lists.

If you act now, you can avoid the annoyance later.

Other BloggingStocks writers take on the 'Do Not Call' news:

• Sheldon Liber -- Don't call me, I'll call you