Patent ID: 7506055
Filing Date: 2009-03-17
Classification: G06F

Abstract:
1. A method to filter content, comprising: automatically acquiring from an online ratings vendor a rating associated with content, the rating is acquired from the online ratings vendor remotely and over a public Internet communication network, the ratings is acquired in a list that is acquired from the vendor over the Internet and when the rating is permissible the content is scanned for words or phrases that are not permissible and when found an additional rating generated, and wherein the rating in the list is in a Platform for Internet Content Selection (PICS) format and the vendor supplies a software module to implement the rating on a client, and the rating is a content rating for the content assigned from categories and sub-categories in response to criteria applied by the vendor to the content; comparing the rating and the additional rating when present to policies associated with the client; permitting the client to acquired the content if permitted by the policies; and denying the client access to the content if the policies do not permit; wherein automatically acquiring the rating further includes dynamically inspecting, by the ratings vendors, information in the content and dynamically producing the rating based on the dynamic inspection; and wherein enforcing the one or more policies further includes: determining that the rating acquired from the ratings vendor is deficient for purpose of enforcing the one or more policies; acquiring the content from a content provider; and acquiring from a rating supplier a modified rating for the rating based on the content that is supplied to the ratings supplier.