Patent ID: 7657599
Filing Date: 2010-02-02
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for permitting a sender to provide electronic mail (email) to a recipient, said method comprising: providing a recipient email address from the recipient to a potential sender as part of a subscription request; generating a petition for requesting of the recipient that the potential sender be allowed to send email to the recipient, said petition including descriptive information that will be used to identify the potential sender during future email transmission between the potential sender and the recipient, wherein the petition is generated as a result of receiving the recipient email address to the potential sender during the subscription request; transmitting said petition from the potential sender to the recipient via a hypertext transfer protocol wherein the petition is transmitted as a web browser-based interaction before exchanging email messages between the potential sender and the recipient as a result of said subscription request; receiving the petition by the recipient and processing said petition; determining whether the petition is acceptable based on at least one of: 1) a sender identity verification method; 2) user input; and 3) third party information; adding the potential sender to an email access list if the petition is acceptable and denying the petition if the petition is determined to be unacceptable; and wherein the email access list is used to determine whether or not an email message from the potential sender is permitted to reach the recipient in the event that the potential sender transmits the email message to the recipient.