I know of extensive prior art in this area.
-----Original Message-----
From: Yakov Shafranovich [mailto:research(_at_)solidmatrix(_dot_)com]
Sent: Sunday, May 11, 2003 4:28 PM
To: asrg(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org
Subject: [Asrg] C/R patents
I finally found the actual patents, they are discussed in this story:
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/business/column
ists/mike_langberg/5565050.htm
According to the story both patents are currently owned by
MailBlocks, Inc.
The patent numbers are US# 6,199,102, filed August 26, 1997
and issued
March 6, 2001; and US # 6,112,227, filed on August 6, 1998
and issued
August 29, 2000. Both patents can be looked up at the website
of the US
Patents and Trademarks Office
(http://patft.uspto.gov/netahtml/srchnum.htm).
Abstract of patent # 6,199,102:
A method is provided for preventing the delivery of unwanted
electronic
mail messages to a destination client. An original electronic
mail message
is first received from a source client at a destination
server. Next, a
reply electronic mail message is sent from the destination
server to the
source client requesting the source client to complete a registration
process to register the source client's electronic mail
address with the
destination server. The original electronic mail message is
only sent from
the destination server to the destination client when the
source client
properly registers the source client's electronic mail address.
Abstract of patent # 6,112,227:
A method is provided for preventing the delivery of unwanted
electronic
mail messages to a destination client. An original electronic
mail message
is first received from a source client at a destination
server. Next, a
reply electronic mail message is sent from the destination
server to the
source client requesting the source client to complete a registration
process to register the source client's electronic mail
address with the
destination server. The original electronic mail message is
only sent from
the destination server to the destination client when the
source client
properly registers the source client's electronic mail address.
The second one seems to cover all C/R systems and that's what
MailBlocks
claims in the news article.
Yakov
--------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------
Yakov Shafranovich / <research(_at_)solidmatrix(_dot_)com>
SolidMatrix Research, a division of SolidMatrix Technologies, Inc.
--------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------
"One who watches the wind will never sow, and one who keeps
his eyes on
the clouds will never reap" (Ecclesiastes 11:4)
--------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------
_______________________________________________
Asrg mailing list
Asrg(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org
https://www1.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/asrg
_______________________________________________
Asrg mailing list
Asrg(_at_)ietf(_dot_)org
https://www1.ietf.org/mailman/listinfo/asrg