Patent ID: 7093136

Claim:
An e-mail sender client that is network connectable to an e-mail reader client so as to be capable of sending an e-mail message to the e-mail reader client, the e-mail sender client being configured to implement a method of transmitting the e-mail message in a way that discourages dissemination of information contained within the e-mail message, the e-mail sender client comprising: a processor for processing computer-executable instructions stored on a computer-readable media of the e-mail sender client; and one or more computer-readable media having the computer-executable instructions, wherein the computer-executable instructions implement a method of transmitting an e-mail message comprising: an act of accessing an e-mail message; an act of setting an indicator indicating that one or more functions that limit the opportunity to disseminate e-mail messages are to be applied to the e-mail message; an act of associating the indicator with the accessed e-mail message; an act of encrypting the e-mail message; and an act of dispatching the e-mail message to the e-mail reader client in encrypted form through the use of an e-mail server, wherein the e-mail server, prior to transmitting the e-mail message to the e-mail reader client, first determines that the e-mail reader client is capable of implementing the one or more functions, and such that the e-mail message is not transmitted to the e-mail reader client until the e-mail server first determines that the e-mail reader client is capable of implementing the one or more functions.