Patent ID: 7818455

Claim:
A method of managing aliases as manageable objects distinct from distribution lists, and where each alias preserves the confidentiality of the addresses within the at least distribution list to which said alias points, the method comprising: providing access to an alias management server having access to a distribution list database, the alias management server comprising a memory and a processor; storing in the distribution list database at least one distribution list comprising at least one address of a message recipient and having one or more list attributes; allowing an alias user who is not a sole message recipient within the at least one distribution list to submit desirable criteria that includes desirable alias properties and desirable list properties to the alias management server; identifying the at least one distribution list with list attributes that satisfy at least some of the desirable list properties; providing the alias user access to an alias of an alias object that points to the at least one distribution list, where the alias object satisfies at least some of the submitted desirable alias properties, and where some of the desirable alias properties satisfied by the alias object are distinct from the desirable list properties satisfied by the distribution list; storing the alias object in the alias management server; and causing a message addressed to the alias to be sent to the addresses within the at least one distribution list.