E-mail forward filter
First Claim
1. A method of forward filtering an email received by an email user agent and originally sent to one or more original recipients, the method being performed by the user agent in response to a user input to forward the email to at least one forward recipient, and comprising the steps of:
- (i) comparing the forward recipient with the original recipients; and
(ii) if it is detected that the forward recipient matches one of the original recipients, the agent causing the e-mail not to be forwarded to the matching forward recipient.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of forward filtering an email received by an email user agent and originally sent to one or more original recipients. The method is performed by the user agent in response to a user input to forward the email to at least one forward recipient. The forward recipient are compared with the original recipient. If it is detected that the forward recipient matches one of the original recipients, the agent causes the e-mail not to be forwarded to the matching forward recipient.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A method of forward filtering an email received by an email user agent and originally sent to one or more original recipients, the method being performed by the user agent in response to a user input to forward the email to at least one forward recipient, and comprising the steps of:
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(i) comparing the forward recipient with the original recipients; and
(ii) if it is detected that the forward recipient matches one of the original recipients, the agent causing the e-mail not to be forwarded to the matching forward recipient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of forward filtering an email received by an email user agent and originally sent to one or more original recipients, the method being performed by the user agent in response to a user input to forward the email to at least one forward recipient, and comprising the steps of:
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(i) comparing the forward recipient with the original recipients; and
(ii) if it is detected that the forward recipient matches one of the original recipients, the agent requesting the user to confirm that the e-mail is not to be forwarded to the matching forward recipient and, according to the user confirmation, causing the e-mail not to be forwarded to the matching forward recipient. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of e-mail forward filtering, performed by an e-mail server in response to a receipt, from a user, of an e-mail to be sent to recipients of a mailing list, the method comprising the steps of:
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(i) ascertaining whether the e-mail is a forward e-mail including information for identifying the e-mail'"'"'s original recipients;
(ii) comparing the recipients of the mailing list with the original recipients; and
(iii) if it is detected that one of the recipients of the mailing list matches one of the original recipients, the e-mail server causing the e-mail not to be sent to the matching recipient. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. A computer comprising a component for receiving and sending e-mails, said e-mail component is arranged to filter a forward e-mail in response to a user input to forward an original e-mail received by the e-mail user agent to at least one forward recipient, wherein the original e-mail was sent to one or more original recipients,
the e-mail component is arranged to compare the forward recipient with the original recipients, and the e-mail component is arranged, in response to a match between the forward recipient and one of the original recipients, to perform at least one of: -
(a) to request the user to confirm that the original e-mail is not to be forwarded to the matching forward recipient and, according to the user confirmation, to cause the original e-mail not to be forwarded to the matching forward recipient;
or(b) to cause the original e-mail not to be forwarded to the matching forward recipient without user confirmation.
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25. A computer including an e-mail user agent arranged to enable a user to generate a forward e-mail in order to forward an original e-mail received by the e-mail user agent to at least one forward recipient, wherein the original e-mail was sent to one or more original recipients, comprising:
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means for filtering the forward e-mail in response to a user input, comprising;
(i) means for comparing the forward recipient with the original recipients; and
(ii) means for causing the original e-mail not to be forwarded to the matching forward recipient if the comparing means detect that the forward recipient matches one of the original recipients. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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27. A computer program product including program code for execution on a computer comprising an e-mail user agent for filtering an email received by the agent and originally sent to one or more original recipients, said agent being arranged to, in response to a user input to forward the email to at least one forward recipient,
(i) compare the forward recipient with the original recipients; - and
(ii) cause the e-mail not to be forwarded to the matching forward recipient if the agent detects that the forward recipient matches one of the original recipients. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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29. A plug-in for providing an e-mail user agent with an e-mail forward filter functionality, said e-mail user agent being arranged to enable a user to generate a forward e-mail in order to forward an e-mail received by the e-mail user agent to at least one forward recipient, wherein the original e-mail was sent to one or more original recipients, the plug-in, when executed,
(i) compares the forward recipient with the original recipients; - and
(ii) causes the original e-mail not to be forwarded to the matching forward recipient if the agent detects that the forward recipient matches one of the original recipients. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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31. A computer including an e-mail user agent arranged to enable a user to generate a forward e-mail in order to forward an original e-mail received by the e-mail user agent to at least one forward recipient, wherein the original e-mail was sent to one or more original recipients, comprising:
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a filter for the forward e-mail in response to a user input, comprising;
(i) a comparator for comparing the forward recipient with the original recipients; and
(ii) circuitry for preventing forwarding of the original e-mail to a matching forward recipient in response to the comparator detecting that the forward recipient matches one of the original recipients. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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33. A plug-in for providing an e-mail user agent with an e-mail forward filter functionality, said e-mail user agent being arranged to enable a user to generate a forward e-mail in order to forward an e-mail received by the e-mail user agent to at least one forward recipient, wherein the original e-mail was sent to one or more original recipients, the plug-in, when executed, being arranged for:
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(i) comparing the forward recipient with the original recipients; and
(ii) preventing forwarding of the original e-mail to the matching forward recipient in response to the agent detecting that the forward recipient matches one of the original recipients. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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Specification