Patent ID: 8667071

Claim:
A communication terminal having an automatic reply function capable of setting to send a given automatic reply mail in response to receiving a mail, the communication terminal comprising: circuitry configured to receive a mail from a transmitter; confirm whether an automatic reply flag indicating an automatic reply mail sent by the automatic reply function of the transmitter is attached to the mail; confirm a number of times of automatic replies reflecting a number of times of currently possible replies by the automatic reply function with respect to the mail; determining, based on presence or absence of the automatic reply flag and the number of times of automatic replies, whether to perform the automatic reply function; and transmit the automatic reply mail to the transmitter when it is determined to perform the automatic reply function, wherein the number of times of automatic replies is changed every time the automatic reply function is performed, and when the automatic reply flag is attached to an incoming mail and the number of times of automatic replies reaches a given value with respect to the incoming mail, the circuitry determines not to perform the automatic reply function.