Patent ID: 7577710

Claim:
A system for prioritizing email and controlling spam comprising: means for establishing a connection on a network between a sender's email client connected to an email-sending server and an addressee's email client connected to an email-receiving server, wherein said email-sending server and said email-receiving server utilize a common email system protocol to send an email on said network; means for selecting on said sender's email client an addressee's email address and a desired priority for said email to be sent to said addressee; means for coding said addressee's email address of said email by taking a first character of said addressee's email address and repeating said first character a corresponding number of times to reflect said selected priority; means for sending, via said common email system protocol, said coded email from said email-sending server to said email-receiving server; means for receiving, via said common email system protocol, said email at said addressee's email server from said email-sending server; means for decoding said email address of said email by comparing said first character of said coded email address with a stored email address for said addressee; and means for determining said selected priority at said addressee's email client based on the repetitions of said first character of said addressee's email address.