Patent ID: 6697462
Filing Date: 2004-02-24
Classification: G06Q,H04L,H04M,H04N

Abstract:
A method of regulating electronic communications, said method comprising:a) receiving a communication from a sender for a designated recipient; b) comparing sender identity indicia attached to said communication with stored sender identity indicia in a database under the control of said recipient; c) presenting said communication to said recipient for acceptance or rejection, when said sender identity indicia are determined to be acceptable in step b); d) sending a return message to said sender indicating that a bond must be posted when said sender identity indicia are not determined to be acceptable in step b), and that money associated with said bond shall be forfeited if said communication is presented to said recipient and said recipient rejects said communication; e) dissolving said bond when said recipient accepts said communication; f) causing the money associated with said bond to be forfeited when said recipient rejects said communication; g) for each sender encountered by the system administering said method, counting the number of communications by the sender which are rejected by a recipient; and h) disabling step f) when the number of rejected communications by system users has not exceeded a predetermined number.