Patent ID: 7305445

Claim:
In a system for exchanging electronic messages between senders and recipients, a method of reducing unsolicited electronic messages for a recipient by creating one or more disposable electronic messages to avoid the need for sharing one or more permanent electronic message addresses and by requiring the completing of one or more configurable anti-spam challenges before the disposable electronic message may be used, the method comprising acts of: receiving at an address generation server, an electronic message comprising a request address for identifying an intended recipient and a return electronic message address corresponding to a sender of the received electronic message; verifying that the intended recipient identified by the request address is known to the address generation server; formulating a configurable anti-spam challenge configurable to include a variable type or number of challenges such that when answered correctly, gives an increased assurance that the sender is not sending spam; creating a disposable electronic message address for the intended recipient, wherein the disposable electronic message address is formatted so as to require completion of the configurable anti-spam challenge before the disposable electronic message address may be used; and sending the disposable electronic message address to the return electronic message address included in the received electronic message so that the sender may use the electronic message address to send one or more electronic messages to the intended recipient; adding the return electronic message address to an allow list associated with the disposable electronic message address to indicate that electronic messages received from the return electronic message address are authorized to use the disposable electronic message address; addressing the electronic message to one or more recipients other than the intended recipient; and adding an electronic address of the one or more other recipients other than the intended recipient to the allow list.