Patent ID: 7275082

Claim:
A method for a computer system comprises receiving a first unsolicited commercial electronic mail message initiated by an e-mail sender at an electronic mail address associated with an e-mail recipient; sending an electronic message to the e-mail sender, wherein the electronic message includes a request that the e-mail sender refrain from initiating any future unsolicited commercial electronic mail messages to the electronic mail address where the first unsolicited commercial electronic mail message was received; storing an indication that the electronic message including the request that the e-mail sender refrain from initiating any future unsolicited commercial electronic mail messages to the electronic mail address was sent to the e-mail sender in a log; receiving a second unsolicited commercial electronic mail message at the electronic mail address; automatically determining whether the e-mail sender is in violation of the request that the e-mail sender refrain from initiating any future unsolicited commercial electronic messages to the electronic mail address, in response to the second unsolicited commercial electronic mail message and in response to the log; and when the e-mail sender is in violation of the request, reporting a violation of the request that the e-mail sender refrain from initiating any future unsolicited commercial electronic messages to the electronic mail address.