METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PREVENTING ON-LINE VIOLATIONS OF LEGAL REGULATIONS ON USERS OF A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A method for preventing violations of legal regulations on users of an electronic communication system, comprising:
- determining whether a user composing a message to be conveyed using said communication system is a member of a special class;
in the event that said user is a member of said special class, determining a number of special class members that would be participating in a communication to which said message would be added in the event that said message were conveyed using said communication system;
determining whether said number of special class members that would be participating in said communication if said message were added to said communication would be as large as a limit associated with said special class; and
in the event that said number of special class members that would be participating in said communication if said message were added to said communication would be at least as large as said limit associated with said special class, preventing said message from being conveyed by said communication system.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for preventing on-line violations of open meeting regulations and similar laws, in which one or more special classes of users are defined for an electronic communication system. The definition of each special class may include quorum requirements, including the number of group members that make up a quorum for that special class. Users are registered to use the communication system, and indications are stored as to whether each user is a member of a special class. Users identified as members of special classes may be reminded of the restrictions on communications using the communication system arising from that special class membership. When a user composes a message for posting or sending through the communication system, the user'"'"'s identity is checked to determine whether they are a member of a restricted special class. If the user is a member of a special class, a determination is made as to whether posting or sending the message would violate any legal restrictions associated with that special class. For example, if a user is a member of a special class for which communications are prohibited that would result in a serial quorum or the like, then the disclosed system would calculate the total number of special class members that would be participants in the communication to which the message would be added, if the message were in fact conveyed. If the number of special class members that would be participants in the communication if the message were conveyed reaches the quorum for the special class, then the message is rejected, and prevented from entry into the communication system.
14 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for preventing violations of legal regulations on users of an electronic communication system, comprising:
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determining whether a user composing a message to be conveyed using said communication system is a member of a special class; in the event that said user is a member of said special class, determining a number of special class members that would be participating in a communication to which said message would be added in the event that said message were conveyed using said communication system; determining whether said number of special class members that would be participating in said communication if said message were added to said communication would be as large as a limit associated with said special class; and in the event that said number of special class members that would be participating in said communication if said message were added to said communication would be at least as large as said limit associated with said special class, preventing said message from being conveyed by said communication system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system including a computer readable medium, said computer readable medium having stored thereon program code for preventing violations of legal regulations on users of an electronic communication system, said program code comprising:
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program code for determining whether a user composing a message to be conveyed using said communication system is a member of a special class; program code for, in the event that said user is a member of said special class, determining a number of special class members that would be participating in a communication to which said message would be added in the event that said message were conveyed using said communication system; program code for determining whether said number of special class members that would be participating in said communication if said message were added to said communication would be as large as a limit associated with said special class; and program code for, in the event that said number of special class members that would be participating in said communication if said message were added to said communication would be at least as large as said limit associated with said special class, preventing said message from being conveyed by said communication system.
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18. A computer program product including a computer readable medium, said computer readable medium having stored thereon program code for preventing violations of legal regulations on users of an electronic communication system, said program code comprising:
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program code for determining whether a user composing a message to be conveyed using said communication system is a member of a special class; program code for, in the event that said user is a member of said special class, determining a number of special class members that would be participating in a communication to which said message would be added in the event that said message were conveyed using said communication system; program code for determining whether said number of special class members that would be participating in said communication if said message were added to said communication would be as large as a limit associated with said special class; and program code for, in the event that said number of special class members that would be participating in said communication if said message were added to said communication would be at least as large as said limit associated with said special class, preventing said message from being conveyed by said communication system.
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19. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, said computer data signal having stored thereon program code for preventing violations of legal regulations on users of an electronic communication system, said program code comprising:
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program code for determining whether a user composing a message to be conveyed using said communication system is a member of a special class; program code for, in the event that said user is a member of said special class, determining a number of special class members that would be participating in a communication to which said message would be added in the event that said message were conveyed using said communication system; program code for determining whether said number of special class members that would be participating in said communication if said message were added to said communication would be as large as a limit associated with said special class; and program code for, in the event that said number of special class members that would be participating in said communication if said message were added to said communication would be at least as large as said limit associated with said special class, preventing said message from being conveyed by said communication system.
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20. A system for preventing violations of regulations on users of an electronic communication system, comprising:
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means for determining whether a user composing a message to be conveyed using said communication system is a member of a special class; means for, in the event that said user is a member of said special class, determining a number of special class members that would be participating in a communication to which said message would be added in the event that said message were conveyed using said communication system; means for determining whether said number of special class members that would be participating in said communication if said message were added to said communication would be as large as a limit associated with said special class; and means for, in the event that said number of special class members that would be participating in said communication if said message were added to said communication would be at least as large as said limit associated with said special class, preventing said message from being conveyed by said communication system.
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Specification