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System and method for preventing screen-scrapers from extracting user screen names

  • US 8,103,960 B2
  • Filed: 09/26/2008
  • Issued: 01/24/2012
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2004
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for preventing screen scrapers from extracting user screen names, comprising:

  • an Internet based real-time, text-based instant messaging systemin which a plurality of logged-in users communicate with each other by displaying real-time, text-based instant messages on a communication screen from which any of the logged-in users'"'"' screen identification and the displayed messages can be read by other users; and

    said real-time, text-based instant messaging system further comprising a mechanism for automatically converting a user'"'"'s screen name into a graphic from which an ordinary person can recognize the user'"'"'s screen name without user intervention;

    wherein the graphic is displayed on the communication screen instead of a text form of said user'"'"'s screen name whenever and wherever the user'"'"'s screen name is displayed in order to prevent screen scrapers from extracting user screen names.

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