Patent ID: 8423615

Claim:
A method of restricting distribution of electronic messages, comprising: at a client system having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors: receiving an electronic message, the message including message content and message-specific distribution restriction information; enabling a recipient of the electronic message to compose a related message that includes at least a portion of the message content, the composed message including a list of proposed recipients; and in connection with an operation to save a draft of the composed message without initiating transmission of the related message to the list of proposed recipients: initiating comparison of the list of proposed recipients with the distribution restriction information associated with the received electronic message; identifying recipients from the list of proposed recipients that violate the distribution restriction; and notifying the recipient if the list of proposed recipients is inconsistent with the distribution restriction information associated with the received electronic message, notifying including visually highlighting in the list of proposed recipients the identified recipients who violate the distribution restriction.