System and method for complying with anti-spam rules, laws, and regulations

• US 20050177599A1
• Filed: 02/09/2004
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Goodman, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US10/774,995
• Publication Number:
  US 20050177599A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking

Abstract

System and method for a sender of communications to comply with a predetermined time limit. Computer-executable instructions are adapted to receive an incoming communication from a recipient of communications. Computer-executable instructions are adapted to store data indicating a last time that the incoming communication is received by the sender. Computer-executable instructions are adapted to send a communication to the recipient if the stored data indicates that the time between the last time that the incoming communication is received by the sender and a present time does not exceed the predetermined time limit.

Claims

1. A method for a sender of communications to comply with a predetermined time limit, comprising:

receiving an incoming communication from a recipient of communications;

storing data indicating a last time that the incoming communication is received by the sender; and

sending a communication to the recipient if the stored data indicates that the time between the last time that the incoming communication is received by the sender and a present time does not exceed the predetermined time limit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the incoming communication is received via one or more of the following:

a direct communication, a postal mail, a data communication network, or a telephonic communication network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending information to the recipient, said information indicating the last time that the incoming communication from the recipient is received.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said sending comprises sending the communication to the recipient if the stored data indicates that the present time is within a range prior to expiration of the predetermined time limit, said communication for inducing said recipient to send another incoming communication to the sender.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein if the time between the last time that the incoming communication is received and the present time exceeds the predetermined time limit, the communication is sent to the recipient via a channel permitted by a rule, law, or regulation that prescribes the predetermined time limit.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a list of recipients whose last time of incoming communications to the sender cannot be identified; and

wherein said sending the communication comprises sending the communication to the recipient if the recipient is included in said list of recipients, said communication for inducing the recipient to send another incoming communication to the sender.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising removing the recipient from said list of recipients after the recipient has sent another incoming communication to the sender.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a list of recipients who are included in a do-not-send list;

identifying if the recipient is included in said list of recipients; and

wherein said sending the communication comprises sending the communication to the recipient via a permitted channel if the recipient is included in said list of recipients.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said sending further comprises sending the communication to the recipient via any channel if the recipient is included in said list of recipients and the time between the last time that the incoming communication is received and the present time does not exceed the predetermined time limit.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the sender is a group, wherein said incoming communication from the recipient is received by one of the group, wherein said storing comprises storing data indicating the last time that the incoming communication is received by said one of the group, and wherein said sending comprises sending the communication from said one of the group to the recipient if the time between the last time that the incoming communication is received by said one of the group and the present time does not exceed the predetermined time limit.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more computer-readable media have computer-executable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 1.

12. A method for a sender of communications to comply with a rule, law, or regulation, comprising:

receiving an incoming communication from a recipient of communications;

identifying a location of the recipient based on the received incoming communication;

storing data indicating the identified location of the recipient;

determining if a communication complies with a rule, law, or regulation of the identified location of the recipient; and

sending the communication to the recipient if the communication is determined to comply with the rule, law, or regulation of the identified location of the recipient.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said determining if the communication complies with the rule, law, or regulation of the identified location of the recipient comprises determining if the communication complies with the rule, law, or regulation via textual analysis of the communication.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said determining if the communication complies with the rule, law, or regulation is performed in an electronic mail client.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said sending the communication comprises sending the communication to the recipient via a channel permitted by the rule, law, or regulation of the identified location of the recipient if the communication is determined not to comply with the rule, law, or regulation.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving an input from the sender, said input indicating whether the communication complies with the rule, law, or regulation; and

wherein said sending the communication comprises sending the communication to the recipient via any channel if the received input indicates that the communication complies with the rule, law, or regulation.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the location of the recipient is identified based on a postal address if the postal address is provided with the incoming communication, wherein the location of the recipient is identified based on an internet protocol address, server location, or domain name of the recipient if the incoming communication is received via a data communication network, and wherein the location of the recipient is identified based on a telephonic address of the recipient if the incoming communication is received via a telephonic communication network.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein if multiple locations of the recipient are identified, the location of the recipient is the location having the most restrictive rule law, or regulation among the identified multiple locations.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the location of the recipient is a location having the most restrictive rule, law, or regulation if the location of the recipient cannot be identified.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein said sending the communication to the recipient comprises:

effecting compliance of the communication with the rule, law, or regulation of the identified location of the recipient if the communication is determined not to comply with the rule, law, or regulation; and

sending the compliant communication to the recipient.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said effecting compliance of the communication comprises including one or more of the following information in the communication if required by the rule, law, or regulation of the identified location of the recipient:

a labeling that the communication is unsolicited, an address of the sender, a phone number of the sender, or unsubscription information.

22. The method of claim 12, further comprising using a first computer having a first internet protocol address or domain to send the communication to the recipient if the communication is determined to comply with the rule, law, or regulation of the identified location of the recipient and using a second computer having a second internet protocol address or domain different from the first internet protocol address or domain to send the communication to the recipient if the communication is determined not to comply with the rule, law, or regulation of the identified location of the recipient.

23. The method of claim 12, wherein one or more computer-readable media have computer-executable instructions for performing the method recited in claim 12.

24. A system for a sender of communications to comply with a predetermined time limit, comprising:

a memory area adapted to store data indicating a last time that an incoming communication from a recipient is received by the sender; and

a device adapted to send a communication to the recipient if the stored data indicates that the time between the last time that the incoming communication is received by the sender and a present time does not exceed the predetermined time limit.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein said device is a telephonic device, a server, or a client.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the device is adapted to send the communication to the recipient if the stored data indicates that the present time is within a range prior to expiration of the predetermined time limit, said communication for inducing said recipient to send another incoming communication to the sender.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the memory area is adapted to store a list of recipients whose last time of incoming communications to the sender cannot be identified, wherein the device is adapted to send the communication to the recipient if the recipient is included in said list of recipients, said communication for inducing the recipient to send another incoming communication to the sender, and further comprising computer-executable instructions to remove the recipient from said list of recipients after the recipient has sent another incoming communication to the sender.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the sender is a group, wherein the memory area is adapted to store data indicating the last time that the incoming communication from the recipient is received by one of the group, and wherein the device is adapted to send the communication from said one of the group to the recipient if the time between the last time that the incoming communication is received by said one of the group and the present time does not exceed the predetermined time limit.

29. A system for a sender of communications to comply with a rule, law, or regulation, comprising:

computer-executable instructions to identify a location of a recipient based on an incoming communication received from the recipient;

a memory area adapted to store data indicating the identified location of the recipient;

computer-executable instructions to determine if a communication complies with a rule, law, or regulation of the identified location of the recipient; and

a first device adapted to send the communication to the recipient if the communication is determined to comply with the rule, law, or regulation of the identified location of the recipient.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein said computer-executable instructions to determine if the communication complies with the rule, law, or regulation comprises electronic mail client instructions.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the location of the recipient is identified based on a postal address if the postal address is provided with the incoming communication, wherein the location of the recipient is identified based on an internet protocol address, server location, or domain name of the recipient if the incoming communication is received via a data communication network, and wherein the location of the recipient is identified based on a telephonic address of the recipient if the incoming communication is received via a telephonic communication network.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the first device is adapted to send the communication to the recipient via a channel permitted by the rule, law, or regulation of the identified location of the recipient if the communication is determined not to comply with the rule, law, or regulation.

33. The system of claim 32, further comprising:

computer-executable instructions to receive an input from the sender, said input indicating whether the communication complies with the rule, law, or regulation; and

wherein the first device is adapted to send the communication to the recipient via any channel if the received input indicates that the communication complies with the rule, law, or regulation.

34. The system of claim 29, further comprising computer-executable instructions to effect compliance of the communication with the rule, law, or regulation of the identified location of the recipient if the communication is determined not to comply with the rule, law, or regulation, and wherein the first device is adapted to send the compliant communication to the recipient.

35. The system of claim 29, further comprising:

a second device having a second internet protocol address or domain and adapted to send the communication to the recipient if the communication is determined not to comply with the rule, law, or regulation of the identified location of the recipient; and

wherein the first device has a first internet protocol address or domain different from the second internet protocol address or domain and is adapted to send the communication to the recipient if the communication is determined to comply with the rule, law, or regulation of the identified location of the recipient.

36. One or more computer-readable media having computer-executable components for a sender of communications to comply with a predetermined time limit, said computer-readable media comprising:

a receiving component for receiving an incoming communication from a recipient of communications;

a storage component for storing data indicating a last time that the incoming communication is received by the sender; and

a sending component for sending a communication to the recipient if the stored data indicates that the time between the last time that the incoming communication is received by the sender and a present time does not exceed the predetermined time limit.

37. The computer-readable media of claim 36, wherein the sending component sends the communication to the recipient if the stored data indicates that the present time is within a range prior to expiration of the predetermined time limit, said communication for inducing said recipient to send another incoming communication to the sender.

38. The computer-readable media of claim 36, wherein the storage component stores a list of recipients whose last time of incoming communications to the sender cannot be identified, and wherein the sending component sends the communication to the recipient if the recipient is included in said list of recipients, said communication for inducing the recipient to send another incoming communication to the sender.

39. The computer-readable media of claim 36, wherein the storage component stores a list of recipients who are included in a do-not-send list, and wherein the sending component sends the communication to the recipient via a permitted channel if the recipient is included in said list of recipients.

40. The computer-readable media of claim 36, wherein the sender is a group, wherein said incoming communication from the recipient is received by one of the group, wherein the storage component stores data indicating the last time that the incoming communication is received by said one of the group, and wherein the sending component sends the communication from said one of the group to the recipient if the time between the last time that the incoming communication is received by said one of the group and the present time does not exceed the predetermined time limit.