The list below presents a *partial* list of US Patents that are
relevant to spam. This list misses many existing, relevant US patents
and does not contain any of the many, many published patent
applications. Also, there are no international patents in this list.
My motivation for presenting the list is, in part, to demonstrate
that the task of producing an exhaustive listing of spam-related IPR is
going to be much more work than it may seem. Frankly, I think we're
going to have to rely on the existing IETF procedures for IPR holders
filing of IPR disclosures...
I would also like to suggest that people who seek a comprehensive
knowledge of existing anti-spam techniques should study the
specifications and claims in these patents as one of many means to
discover what methods others have thought would be useful in fighting
spam. While patents are usually considered more of a hinderance than a
help, they do serve to document (often poorly...) what some consider to
be useful methods. Hopefully, someone will find inspiration in one of
the patents below, or one not listed here, for some system that isn't
already patented yet will help solve the problem.
bob wyman
* 6574658
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6574658>
3-Jun-03 System and method for secure classification of electronic mail
* 6560632
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6560632>
6-May-03 System and method for managing files in a distributed system
using prioritization
* 6553358
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6553358>
22-Apr-03 Decision-theoretic approach to harnessing text classification
for guiding automated action
* 6546416
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6546416>
8-Apr-03 Method and system for selectively blocking delivery of bulk
electronic mail
* 6546390
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6546390>
8-Apr-03 Method and apparatus for evaluating relevancy of messages to
users
* 6505167
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6505167>
7-Jan-03 Systems and methods for directing automated services for
messaging and scheduling
* 6493007
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6493007>
10-Dec-02 Method and device for removing junk e-mail messages
* 6490574
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6490574>
3-Dec-02 Method and system for managing rules and events in a multi-user
intelligent agent environment
* 6487586
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6487586>
26-Nov-02 Self-removing email verified or designated as such by a
message distributor for the convenience of a recipient
* 6484197
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6484197>
19-Nov-02 Filtering incoming e-mail
* 6480885
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6480885>
12-Nov-02 Dynamically matching users for group communications based on a
threshold degree of matching of sender and recipient predetermined
acceptance criteria
* 6473758
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6473758>
29-Oct-02 Method and apparatus for private and restricted-use electronic
addresses
* 6460050
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6460050>
1-Oct-02 Distributed content identification system
* 6453327
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6453327>
17-Sep-02 Method and apparatus for identifying and discarding junk
electronic mail
* 6442589
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6442589>
27-Aug-02 Method and system for sorting and forwarding electronic
messages and other data
* 6421709
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6421709>
16-Jul-02 E-mail filter and method thereof
* 6415304
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6415304>
2-Jul-02 Waiting prior to engaging in action for enhancement of
automated service
* 6400810
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6400810>
4-Jun-02 Method and system for selective notification of E-mail messages
* 6397205
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6397205>
28-May-02 Document categorization and evaluation via cross-entrophy
* 6393465
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6393465>
21-May-02 Junk electronic mail detector and eliminator
* 6381592
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6381592>
30-Apr-02 Candidate chaser
* 6370526
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6370526>
9-Apr-02 Self-adaptive method and system for providing a user-preferred
ranking order of object sets
* 6363140
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6363140>
26-Mar-02 Dialable screening profile
* 6356935
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6356935>
12-Mar-02 Apparatus and method for an authenticated electronic userid
* 6332164
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6332164>
18-Dec-01 System for recipient control of E-mail message by sending
complete version of message only with confirmation from recipient to
receive message
* 6330590
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6330590>
11-Dec-01 Preventing delivery of unwanted bulk e-mail
* 6324569
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6324569>
27-Nov-01 Self-removing email verified or designated as such by a
message distributor for the convenience of a recipient
* 6321267
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6321267>
20-Nov-01 Method and apparatus for filtering junk email
* 6266692
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6266692>
24-Jul-01 Method for blocking all unwanted e-mail (SPAM) using a
header-based password
* 6249805
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6249805>
19-Jun-01 Method and system for filtering unauthorized electronic mail
messages
* 6230188
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6230188>
8-May-01 System and method for providing a proxy identifier in an
on-line directory
* 6199103
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6199103>
6-Mar-01 Electronic mail determination method and system and storage
medium
* 6199102
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6199102>
6-Mar-01 Method and system for filtering electronic messages
* 6195698
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6195698>
27-Feb-01 Method for selectively restricting access to computer systems
* 6192114
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6192114>
20-Feb-01 Method and apparatus for billing a fee to a party initiating
an electronic mail communication when the party is not on an
authorization list associated with the party to whom the communication
is directed
* 6185603
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6185603>
6-Feb-01 Method and system for delivery of e-mail and alerting messages
* 6185551
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6185551>
6-Feb-01 Web-based electronic mail service apparatus and method using
full text and label indexing
* 6167435
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6167435>
26-Dec-00 Double opt-in.TM. method and system for verifying
subscriptions to information distribution services
* 6167434
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6167434>
26-Dec-00 Computer code for removing junk e-mail messages
* 6161130
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6161130>
12-Dec-00 "Technique which utilizes a probabilistic classifier to detect
""junk"" e-mail by automatically updating a training and re-training the
classifier based on the updated training set "
* 6112227
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6112227>
29-Aug-00 Filter-in method for reducing junk e-mail
* 6108691
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6108691>
22-Aug-00 Directory with options for access to and display of email
addresses
* 6092101
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6092101>
18-Jul-00 Method for filtering mail messages for a plurality of client
computers connected to a mail service system
* 6085321
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6085321>
4-Jul-00 Unique digital signature
* 6073167
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6073167>
6-Jun-00 Distribution limiter for network messaging
* 6073165
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6073165>
6-Jun-00 "Filtering computer network messages directed to a user's
e-mail box based on user defined filters, and forwarding a filtered
message to the user's receiver "
* 6072942
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6072942>
6-Jun-00 System and method of electronic mail filtering using
interconnected nodes
* 6064878
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6064878>
16-May-00 Method for separately permissioned communication
* 6052709
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6052709>
18-Apr-00 Apparatus and method for controlling delivery of unsolicited
electronic mail
* 6023723
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6023723>
8-Feb-00 Method and system for filtering unwanted junk e-mail utilizing
a plurality of filtering mechanisms
* 6018761
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6018761>
25-Jan-00 System for adding to electronic mail messages information
obtained from sources external to the electronic mail transport process
* 6003027
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=6003027>
14-Dec-99 System and method for determining confidence levels for the
results of a categorization system
* 5999967
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=5999967>
7-Dec-99 Electronic mail filtering by electronic stamp
* 5999932
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=5999932>
7-Dec-99 System and method for filtering unsolicited electronic mail
messages using data matching and heuristic processing
* 5930479
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=5930479>
27-Jul-99 Communications addressing system
* 5905777
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=5905777>
18-May-99 E-mail paging system
* 5835087
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=5835087>
10-Nov-98 System for generation of object profiles for a system for
customized electronic identification of desirable objects
* 5826022
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=5826022>
20-Oct-98 Method and apparatus for receiving electronic mail
* 5796948
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=5796948>
18-Aug-98 Offensive message interceptor for computers
* 5757891
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=5757891>
26-May-98 Ever ready telephonic answering-machine for receiving and
delivering electronic messages
* 5754939
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=5754939>
19-May-98 System for generation of user profiles for a system for
customized electronic identification of desirable objects
* 5754938
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=5754938>
19-May-98 Pseudonymous server for system for customized electronic
identification of desirable objects
* 5742769
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=5742769>
21-Apr-98 Directory with options for access to and display of email
addresses
* 5724567
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=5724567>
3-Mar-98 System for directing relevance-ranked data objects to computer
users
* 5619648
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=5619648>
8-Apr-97 Message filtering techniques
* 5613108
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=5613108>
18-Mar-97 Electronic mail processing system and electronic mail
processing method
* 5377354
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=5377354>
27-Dec-94 Method and system for sorting and prioritizing electronic mail
messages
* 5283856
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=5283856>
1-Feb-94 Event-driven rule-based messaging system
* 5216603
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=5216603>
1-Jun-93 Method and apparatus for structuring and managing human
communications by explicitly defining the types of communications
permitted between participants
* 5208748
<http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=5208748>
4-May-93 Method and apparatus for structuring and managing human
communications by explicitly defining the types of communications
permitted between participants