Patent ID: 8141147

Claim:
A method for use in controlling or monitoring of Internet access by categorizing Uniform Resource Locators (URLs), comprising the steps of: receiving a request message from a client device requesting categorization of a specified URL, wherein the request message comprises at least four different members of the group comprising a time stamp, a sequence number, a data size, a request data, data indicative of the specified URL including a host portion, and a licensing field carrying a license key having a partner ID and a client ID; validating by a processor of a categorization server using Dynamic Link Library, the license key using the partner ID to identify a licensing scheme from one of a plurality of selectable licensing schemes and using the client ID to validate the client device; and if valid, generating a reply message denoting a category of the specified URL amongst a predetermined set of categories, wherein the reply message comprises at least one of a date or time stamp;. wherein the categorization of the URL is initially based on information indicative of a host name.