DETECTING AND MITIGATING UNSOLICITED EMAIL ABUSE

• US 20110258218A1
• Filed: 04/20/2010
• Published: 10/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Go Daddy Operating Company LLC (GoDaddy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Go Daddy Group Incorporated (GoDaddy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Steiner, Jason, Butler, Ben, Hayes, Sean
• Application Number:
  US12/763,764
• Publication Number:
  US 20110258218A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/769
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/234 for tracking messages

Abstract

Systems and methods of the present invention provide for detecting and mitigating abuse of unsolicited email or “spam.” An administrator may select one or more contacts from a list of contacts to opt in to receive an email distribution. An abuse detection software may then determine for each contact in the contact list whether the contact has read the email distribution and reported the email distribution as an unsolicited email message. If so, an abuse department may place a hold on the email distribution (possibly using abuse mitigation software) and display an alert referring the administrator to the abuse department for review of the account. Otherwise, the email distribution may continue to completion.

Claims

1. A method, comprising the steps of:

a) accepting from an administrator of an account associated with a business ID, via an interface displayed on a client communicatively coupled to a network and one or more software components in a software combination executed on one or more servers communicatively coupled to a network, a selection of one or more contacts from a list of contacts opted in by the administrator to receive an email distribution, the one or more contacts stored in a data storage communicatively coupled to the network;

b) receiving from the administrator a message content and a schedule for the email distribution;

c) delivering the message content to each contact in the list of contacts, via an email address associated with each contact;

d) determining, for each contact in the list of contacts, whether the contact has read the message content and reported the email distribution as an unsolicited email message;

e) if a plurality of contacts in the list of contacts reported an unsolicited email message, determining whether a plurality of reported unsolicited email for the email distribution exceeds one or more spam limit rules;

f) if the plurality of reported unsolicited email for the email distribution exceeds the one or more spam limit rules;

i) placing a hold on the email distribution by an abuse department; and

ii) displaying an alert referring the administrator to the abuse department for review of the account; and

g) if the plurality of unsolicited email for the email distribution does not exceed the one or more spam limit rules, continuing the email distribution until either the email distribution concludes or the plurality of unsolicited email exceeds the one or more spam limit rules.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the email distribution is for a marketing campaign.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the software combination further comprises a contact management software configured to opt in, by the administrator, the one or more contacts.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of opting in to receive the email distribution, by the administrator, on behalf of the contact.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of opting in directly, by the contact, via a form on a webpage managed by the administrator.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of opting in directly, by the contact, via a permission email sent by the administrator.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of opting out, by the contact, to unsubscribe from the email distribution.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the contact clicks on a link in a footer of the message content of the email distribution to unsubscribe from the email distribution or to report the email distribution as an unsolicited email message.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the spam limit rules determine an excessive spam rate according to a default number of allowed spam.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the email distribution is delivered according to a specified interval and the specified interval is determined by a set of email distribution rules.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the email distribution rules determine a batch size and a delay time between sending one or more batches of email.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of determining if the email distribution is being sent to a contact for a first time.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of, if the email distribution is being sent to the contact for the first time, applying the email distribution rules.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of determining if the business ID is found in a database of known abuse violations.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of disabling further import, opt in and email distribution functionality if the plurality of reported unsolicited email for the email distribution exceeds the one or more spam limit rules or if the business ID is found in a database of known abuse violations.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of sending an email to the administrator if the plurality of reported unsolicited email for the email distribution exceeds the one or more spam limit rules or if the business ID is found in a database of known abuse violations.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of sending an email to the abuse department if the plurality of reported unsolicited email for the email distribution exceeds the one or more spam limit rules or if the business ID is found in a database of known abuse violations.

18. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of updating the data storage to reflect the appropriate status if the plurality of reported unsolicited email for the email distribution exceeds the one or more spam limit rules or if the business ID is found in a database of known abuse violations.

19. A system comprising one or more software components in a software combination executed on one or more servers communicatively coupled to a network, the software combination comprising:

a) an opt-in software component configured to accept, from an administrator of an account associated with a business ID, a selection of one or more contacts from a list of contacts opted in by the administrator to receive an email distribution;

b) a message delivery software component configured to;

i) receive from the administrator a message content and a schedule for the email distribution; and

ii) deliver the message content to each contact in the list of contacts, via an email address associated with each contact;

c) an abuse detection software component configured to;

i) determine, for each contact in the list of contacts, whether the contact has read the message content and reported the email distribution as an unsolicited email message;

ii) determine if a plurality of reported unsolicited email for the email distribution exceeds the one or more spam limit rules;

d) an abuse mitigation software component configured to, if the plurality of reported unsolicited email for the email distribution exceeds the one or more spam limit rules;

i) place a hold on the email distribution by an abuse department; and

ii) display an alert referring the administrator to the abuse department for review of the account.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the email distribution is for a marketing campaign.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the software combination further comprises a contact management software configured opt in, by the administrator, the one or more contacts.

22. The system of claim 19 further comprising a software component configured to opt in to receive the email distribution, by the administrator, on behalf of the contact.

23. The system of claim 19 further comprising a software component configured to opt in the contact directly via a form on a webpage managed by the administrator.

24. The system of claim 19 further comprising a software component configured to opt in the contact directly via a permission email sent by the administrator.

25. The system of claim 19 further comprising a software component configured to opt out the contact directly.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the contact clicks on a link in a footer of the message content to unsubscribe from the email distribution or to report the email distribution as an unsolicited email message.

27. The system of claim 19 wherein the bounce limit rules determine an excessive bounce rate according to a default number of allowed spam.

28. The system of claim 19 wherein the email distribution is delivered according to a specified interval and the specified interval is determined by a set of email distribution rules.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the email distribution rules determine a batch size and a delay time between sending one or more batches of email.

30. The system of claim 29 further comprising a software component configured to determine if the email distribution is being sent to a contact for a first time.

31. The system of claim 30 further comprising a software component configured to, if the email distribution is being sent to the contact for the first time, apply the email distribution rules.

32. The system of claim 19 further comprising a software component configured to determine if the business ID is found in a database of known abuse violations.

33. The system of claim 32 further comprising a software component configured to disable further import, opt in and email distribution functionality if the plurality of reported unsolicited email for the email distribution exceeds the one or more spam limit rules or if the business ID is found in a database of known abuse violations.

34. The system of claim 32 further comprising a software component configured to send an email to the administrator if the plurality of reported unsolicited email for the email distribution exceeds the one or more spam limit rules or if the business ID is found in a database of known abuse violations.

35. The system of claim 32 further comprising a software component configured to send an email to the abuse department if the plurality of reported unsolicited email for the email distribution exceeds the one or more spam limit rules or if the business ID is found in a database of known abuse violations.

36. The system of claim 32 further comprising a software component configured to update the database to reflect the appropriate status if the plurality of reported unsolicited email for the email distribution exceeds the one or more spam limit rules or if the business ID is found in a database of known abuse violations.