Patent ID: 8266217

Claim:
An unsolicited e-mail Internet protocol source address verification and tracking method comprising: sending from a source device a request for authorization to send an electronic mail message, the request identifying an address of the source of the request; receiving at an e-mail authorization system from the source device the request for authorization to send the electronic mail message; authorizing the request with the e-mail authorization system including generating an authorization indicator that includes the address of the source device sending said request for authorization; sending a response to the request for authorization from the e-mail authorization system to the address of the source device, wherein the response to said request for authorization includes the authorization indicator with the included address of the source device sending said request for authorization; receiving at the source device from the e-mail authorization system the authorization indicator; adding by the source device the received authorization indicator to an electronic mail message; sending the electronic mail message with the added authorization indicator and an indication of the address of the source device sending the electronic mail message from the source device to a destination device; receiving the electronic mail message with the added authorization indicator and indication of the address of the source device sending the electronic mail message from the source device at an intermediate mail agent for the destination device; and handling receipt of said electronic mail message at the intermediate mail agent for the destination device, including comparing the indication of the address of the source device sending the electronic mail message included in the received electronic mail message against the address of the source device sending said request for authorization included in the authorization indicator received in the electronic mail message.