Patent ID: 7613923

Claim:
A method for controlling unsolicited messaging in a real time messaging (RTM) network, the method comprising: receiving a call initiation request from a first terminal device coupled to the RTM network; marking the call initiation request on behalf of the first terminal device to identify an origination characteristic of the initiation request, generating a marked call initiation request; transmitting the marked call initiation request on the RTM network for delivery to one or more second terminal devices coupled to the RTM network; verifying the marked call initiation request on behalf of at least one of the second terminal devices to determine the origination characteristics of the marked call initiation request; determining a delivery action in response to the verifying; delivering the marked call initiation request in accordance with the delivery action; and determining a reputation associated with the call initiation request in response to the origination characteristic and wherein the determining a delivery action is responsive to the reputation.