Patent ID: 8521576

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for notifying notifees of publications, said method comprising: obtaining, by a notifor through registration, predetermined notification information to be utilized in notifying one or more particular notifees, the predetermined notification information including predetermined notification criteria that serves to identify those publications of the notifor that are to be delivered to the one or more particular notifees, and the predetermined notification information further includes or serves to identify the one or more particular notifees other than the notifor as well as electronic mail addresses for the one or more particular notifees; periodically and automatically determining whether a publication of the notifor matches the predetermined notification criteria; determining, based on the predetermined notification criteria, an appropriate notifee to be notified of the publication matching the predetermined notification criteria, the appropriate notifee being one of the one or more particular notifees; preparing a notification message if said determining determines that an appropriate notifee is to be notified of the publication matching the predetermined notification criteria, the notification message including or referencing the publication that matches the predetermined notification criteria; and initiating sending the notification message to the appropriate notifee if said determining determines that an appropriate notifee is to be notified of the publication matching the predetermined notification criteria, wherein said periodically and automatically determining, said determining, said preparing and said initiating sending are carried out using at least one server computer, wherein the notification message is an electronic notification message, wherein said sending is an electronic transmission of the electronic notification message, wherein the notification message is sent on behalf of the notifor, wherein said computer-implemented method comprises sending an authorization request message to the notifor, and wherein said initiating sending of the notification message is performed only after receiving from the notifor authorization for the notification message following said sending of the authorization request message to the notifor.