Patent ID: 8655957

Claim:
A Computer-Implemented method for confirming the origin of an electronic mail message, comprising: wherein said electronic mail message includes a transmission time at which said electronic mail message was transmitted by a sending system from which said electronic mail message was originated and a digital key uniquely associated with said message; storing, at an electronic mail history confirmation server, said transmission time and said digital key uniquely associated with said electronic mail message; receiving said electronic mail message at an incoming electronic mail checking server responsible for confirming electronic mail sent to a destination system; obtaining, by said incoming electronic mail checking server from said electronic mail message, responsive to said receiving said electronic mail message and an indication that said electronic mail message is confirmable, said transmission time and digital key from said origin confirmation field, and a sender identifier identifying said sending system from which said electronic mail message was originated; generating, by said incoming electronic mail checking server, an origin confirmation request message including said transmission time, said digital key and said sender identifier, wherein said origin confirmation request message requests confirmation that said electronic mail message was transmitted by said sending system at said transmission time; transmitting said origin confirmation request message from said incoming electronic mail checking server to said electronic mail history confirmation server; receiving said origin confirmation request message at said electronic mail history confirmation server; comparing, at said electronic mail history confirmation server, said transmission time and said digital key stored in said electronic mail history confirmation server with said transmission time and digital key in said origin confirmation request; and responsive to said digital key stored in said origin confirmation request message matching said digital key stored in said electronic mail history confirmation server, and said transmission time stored in said origin request message sufficiently matching said transmission time stored in said electronic mail history confirmation server, generating an affirmative origin confirmation message and transmitting said origin confirmation message from said electronic mail history confirmation server to said incoming electronic mail checking server, wherein said affirmative origin confirmation message indicates that said electronic mail message was transmitted by said sending system at said transmission time.