Patent ID: 8700721

Claim:
A method of providing a trusted electronic mail service comprising the steps of: providing a trusted electronic mail delivery server having an associated database for storage of subscriber details; receiving a registration application from a prospective subscriber, the registration application including predetermined minimum subscriber information and being associated with corresponding proof-of-identity data and/or documentation; said subscriber information comprising subscriber details selected from the group consisting of: subscriber's name; subscriber's address; subscriber's contact information; and combinations of the preceding subscriber information; said proof-of-identity data and/or documentation comprising details suitable for validation of the subscriber's identity selected from the group consisting of: subscriber's passport details; subscriber's tax file number; subscriber's social security number; subscriber's date of birth; subscriber's information suitable for validating or authenticating identity of subscriber; documents concerning subscriber suitable for validating or authenticating identity of subscriber; and combinations of the preceding proof-of identity data and/or documentation; authenticating the identity of the prospective subscriber using the proof-of-identity data and/or documentation; creating for the authenticated subscriber a unique subscriber account, and storing corresponding subscriber details in the database; the trusted electronic mail delivery server subsequently receiving from the subscriber a nomination of at least one service provider which the subscriber considers to be a source of essential mail items, and storing said nomination in the database in association with the subscriber details; establishing a trusted communications channel between the trusted electronic mail delivery server and a service provider computer system; the trusted electronic mail delivery server receiving mail data from the service provider computer system via said communications channel; the trusted electronic mail delivery server verifying that the subscriber wishes to receive a mail item corresponding with the mail data in electronic form, by comparison with subscriber details and nominations stored in the database; in the event that said verification is successful, the trusted electronic mail delivery server storing the mail item in a secure electronic mailbox associated with the subscriber account; and the trusted electronic mail delivery server subsequently delivering the stored mail item to the subscriber in electronic form in accordance with subscriber preferences associated with the subscriber account.