Patent ID: 8725809

Claim:
A method for transmitting self-destructing electronic mail messages comprising: receiving a request, at an electronic mail server, from a sender to send a self-destructing electronic mail message, the request identifying a time period after which the self-destructing electronic mail message is to be destroyed; sending a security warning to the sender when an electronic mail address of an intended recipient of the self-destructing electronic mail message is located beyond a home domain of the sender; sending the self-destructing electronic mail message to the electronic mail address of the intended recipient in response to input from the sender responsive to the security warning; deleting any instances of the self-destructing electronic mail message that are being stored at the electronic mail server after the sending and after expiration of the time period, wherein the request comprises a designation that prevents an electronic mail client of an intended recipient in the home domain of the sender from performing prohibited operations that result in duplication of contents of the self-destructing electronic mail message, the prohibited operations comprising capture of a screen display containing the self destructing electronic mail message.