Patent ID: 7356564
Filing Date: 2008-04-08
Classification: G06Q,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for providing self-destructing electronic mail messages, comprising: receiving a request to send a self-destructing electronic mail message, the request comprising a message body and a time period within which the self-destructing electronic mail message should be destroyed; determining if an intended recipient's electronic mail server application supports receiving self-destructing electronic mail messages; if the intended recipient's electronic mail server application does not support self-destructing electronic mail messages, notifying a sender that the intended recipient's mail server does not support self-destructing electronic mail messages; determining if the intended recipient's electronic mail address is located on a network beyond the sender's home domain; providing a security warning message in response to determining that the electronic mail address is located on the network beyond the sender's home domain, the security warning message indicating that the self-destructing electronic mail message is in the process of being sent to the network beyond the sender's home domain; receiving a response to the security warning message; canceling, in response to an indication that a user did not select to proceed with transmitting the self-destructing electronic mail message to the network beyond the sender's home domain, the electronic mail message to the intended recipient whose electronic mail address is located on the network beyond the sender's home domain; transmitting, in response to an indication that the user selected to proceed with transmitting the self-destructing electronic mail message to the network beyond the sender's home domain, the request to an electronic mail client application; and destroying all instances of the self-destructing electronic mail message after the time period has elapsed, wherein the all instances of the self-destructing electronic mail message comprises a plurality of electronic copies of the self-destructing electronic mail message stored in at least one of the following: computer system memory and a mass storage device.