Patent ID: 7149893

Claim:
An electronic mail system, comprising: a first computer on which is installed message origination software and which is connected to a network capable of carrying an electronic mail message; at least one recipient computer also connected to said network; and a viewer applet, wherein said message origination software is arranged to permit an originator of the electronic mail message to select a date, time, or event, the occurrence of which will cause said electronic mail message and all designated incarnations thereof to expire, wherein said date, time, or event is attached to the electronic mail message by the message origination software prior to transmission over said network, wherein said electronic mail message is encrypted so that it may only be viewed by a recipient using said viewer applet upon installation of said viewer applet on said at least one recipient computer, and wherein said viewer applet is arranged to decrypt said electronic mail message to permit viewing of said electronic mail message before the occurrence of the date, time, or event selected by said originator of the electronic mail message, and to prevent decryption and viewing of said encrypted electronic mail message by said recipient after the occurrence of the date, time, or event selected by said originator of the electronic mail message, and wherein: since said electronic mail message can only be viewed using the viewer applet because only the viewer applet can decrypt said electronic mail message, and since the viewer applet prevents decryption and viewing of the electronic mail message after the occurrence of the date, time, or event, said electronic mail system positively prevents all designated incarnations of the electronic mail message from being viewed after the occurrence of the date, time, or event.