Patent ID: 7912908

Claim:
A method of controlling the forwarding of an electronic message, the method comprising: receiving the electronic message from a sender in an access device of a recipient; if the recipient attempts to forward the electronic message to a third party, then: identifying a forwarding control indicator in the electronic message that was set by the sender to specify whether the electronic message is allowed to be forwarded, and processing the forwarding control indicator to determine if the electronic message is allowed to be forwarded, wherein the forwarding control indicator was set by the sender to specify how many times the electronic message is allowed to be forwarded to subsequent recipients; preventing the electronic message from being forwarded to the third party responsive to a determination that the electronic message is not allowed to be forwarded to the third party; and allowing the electronic message to be forwarded to the third party responsive to a determination that the electronic message is allowed to be forwarded to the third party.