Patent ID: 6691156
Filing Date: 2004-02-10
Classification: G06Q,H04L

Abstract:
An e-mail system connectable to a computer network, comprising:a mail server; a plurality of e-mail clients connectable to the mail server, each of the plurality of e-mail clients having a list of approved addresses; a mail transport agent for receiving inbound e-mail from the computer network and forwarding the inbound e-mail to given e-mail clients, and for forwarding outbound e-mail from the e-mail clients to the computer network; an anti-spamming agent, comprising: code responsive to receipt of an e-mail directed to one of the plurality of e-mail clients from the computer network for determining whether a sending address of the e-mail is on the list of approved addresses for the e-mail client for which the e-mail is directed; code responsive to a determination that the e-mail is not on the list of approved addresses for issuing an e-mail to the sending address requesting a return acknowledgement; code for directing the e-mail to a hold queue pending receipt of the return acknowledgement; code for releasing the e-mail from the hold queue upon receipt of the return acknowledgement; and code for adding the sending address of the e-mail to the lists of approved addresses for others of the plurality of e-mail clients.