Methods, systems, computer program products, and data structures for limiting the dissemination of electronic email

• US 20050182954A1
• Filed: 04/21/2005
• Published: 08/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Decuir, Joseph Charles
• Granted Patent: US 7,093,136 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/189
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload

Abstract

An e-mail sender client accesses an e-mail message and sets an associated “eyes-only” indicator indicating that functions that limit the opportunity to disseminate e-mail messages are to be applied to the e-mail message. The e-mail sender client then encrypts the e-mail message, and dispatches the e-mail message to the e-mail reader client in encrypted form. Upon receipt, the e-mail server determines that the e-mail message has the eyes-only indicator set. In response, the e-mail server verifies that the e-mail reader client is capable of implementing the “eyes-only” functions and authenticates the user of the e-mail reader client as being an intended recipient. The e-mail server then transmits the encrypted e-mail message to the e-mail reader client. Upon receipt, the e-mail reader client determines that the e-mail message has an associated “eyes-only” indicator set, and then applies the appropriate “eyes-only” functions to the e-mail message.

Claims

1. An e-mail sender client that is network connectable to an e-mail reader client so as to be capable of sending an e-mail message to the e-mail reader client, the e-mail sender client being configured to implement a method of transmitting the e-mail message in a way that discourages dissemination of information contained within the e-mail message, the e-mail sender client comprising:

a processor for processing computer-executable instructions stored on a computer-readable media of the e-mail sender client; and

one or more computer-readable media having the computer-executable instructions, wherein the computer-executable instructions implement a method of transmitting an e-mail message comprising;

an act of accessing an e-mail message;

an act of setting an indicator indicating that one or more functions that limit the opportunity to disseminate e-mail messages are to be applied to the e-mail message;

an act of associating the indicator with the accessed e-mail message;

an act of encrypting the e-mail message; and

an act of dispatching the e-mail message to the e-mail reader client in encrypted form through the use of an e-mail server, wherein the e-mail server, prior to transmitting the e-mail message to the e-mail reader client, first determines that the e-mail reader client is capable of implementing the one or more functions, and such that the e-mail message is not transmitted to the e-mail reader client until the e-mail server first determines that the e-mail reader client is capable of implementing the one or more functions.

2. An e-mail sender client in accordance with claim 1, wherein the indicator further identifies the one or more functions that limit the opportunity to disseminate e-mail messages.

3. An e-mail sender client in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of setting an indicator indicating that one or more functions that limit the opportunity to disseminate e-mail messages are to be applied to the e-mail message comprises the following:

an act of setting an indicator indicating a disablement of printing the e-mail message.

4. An e-mail sender client in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of setting an indicator indicating that one or more functions that limit the opportunity to disseminate e-mail messages are to be applied to the e-mail message comprises the following:

an act of setting an indicator indicating a disablement of copying the e-mail message.

5. An e-mail sender client in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of setting an indicator indicating that one or more functions that limit the opportunity to disseminate e-mail messages are to be applied to the e-mail message comprises the following:

an act of setting an indicator indicating a disablement of saving the e-mail message.

6. An e-mail sender client in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of setting an indicator indicating that one or more functions that limit the opportunity to disseminate e-mail messages are to be applied to the e-mail message comprises the following:

an act of setting an indicator indicating a disablement of forwarding the e-mail message.

7. An e-mail sender client in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of setting an indicator indicating that one or more functions that limit the opportunity to disseminate e-mail messages are to be applied to the e-mail message comprises the following:

an act of setting an indicator indicating a disablement of print screening the e-mail message.

8. An e-mail sender client in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of setting an indicator indicating that one or more functions that limit the opportunity to disseminate e-mail messages are to be applied to the e-mail message comprises the following:

an act of setting an indicator indicating that reply functions are to be limited.

9. An e-mail sender client in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of setting an indicator indicating that one or more functions that limit the opportunity to disseminate e-mail messages are to be applied to the e-mail message comprises the following:

an act of setting an indicator indicating that reply all functions are to be limited.

10. An e-mail sender client in accordance with claim 1, wherein the act of setting an indicator indicating that one or more functions that limit the opportunity to disseminate e-mail messages are to be applied to the e-mail message comprises the following:

an act of setting an indicator indicating that the e-mail message should only be temporarily displayed on a monitor.

11. An e-mail sender client as recited in claim 1, wherein the e-mail reader client indicates to the e-mail server that it is capable of implementing the one or more functions during an initial registration process.

12. An e-mail sender client as recited in claim 1, wherein the e-mail reader client indicates to the e-mail server that it is capable of implementing the one or more functions at any time other than during an initial registration process.

13. An e-mail server that is network connectable to an e-mail sender client and to an e-mail reader client so as to be capable of receiving e-mail messages from the e-mail sender client and communicate e-mail message to the e-mail reader client, the e-mail server being configured to implement a method of discouraging dissemination of information contained within an e-mail message received from the e-mail sender client, the e-mail server comprising:

a processor for processing computer-executable instructions stored on a computer-readable media of the e-mail server; and

one or more computer-readable media having the computer-executable instructions, wherein the computer-executable instructions implement a method of discouraging dissemination of information contained within an e-mail message received from the e-mail sender client, the method comprising;

an act of receiving an e-mail message in encrypted form;

an act of storing the e-mail message in encrypted form;

an act of determining that the e-mail message has an associated indicator indicating that one or more functions that limit the opportunity to disseminate e-mail messages are to be applied to the e-mail message;

an act of verifying that the e-mail reader client is capable of implementing the one or more functions; and

only after verifying that the e-mail reader client is capable of implementing the one or more functions, an act of transmitting the e-mail message to the e-mail reader client in encrypted form, such that the e-mail message is not transmitted to the e-mail reader client until the e-mail server first determines that the e-mail reader client is capable of implementing the one or more functions.

14. An e-mail server in accordance with claim 13 wherein the method further comprises:

an act of authenticating a user of the e-mail reader client as being an intended recipient of the e-mail message, wherein the act of transmitting occurs after the act of authenticating.

15. An e-mail server in accordance with claim 13 wherein the indicator further identifies the one or more functions that limit the opportunity to disseminate e-mail messages.

16. An e-mail reader client that is network connectable to an e-mail sender client so as to be capable of receiving an e-mail message from e-mail sender client, the e-mail reader client being configured to implement a method of discouraging dissemination of information contained within the e-mail message, the e-mail reader client comprising:

a processor for processing computer-executable instructions stored on a computer-readable media of the e-mail reader client; and

one or more computer-readable media having the computer-executable instructions, wherein the computer-executable instructions implement a method of discouraging dissemination of information contained within the e-mail message, the method comprising;

an act of receiving an e-mail message in encrypted form from an e-mail server, wherein the e-mail message is only transmitted to the e-mail reader client from the e-mail server after the e-mail server has first determined that the e-mail reader client is capable of implementing one or more functions that have been applied to the e-mail message by the e-mail sender that limit the opportunity to disseminate the e-mail message, and such that the e-mail reader will only receive the e-mail message from the e-mail server after the e-mail server has verified that the e-mail reader client is capable of implementing the one or more functions;

an act of storing the e-mail message in encrypted form;

an act of determining that the e-mail message has an associated indicator indicating that the one or more functions that limit the opportunity to disseminate e-mail messages are to be applied to the e-mail message; and

an act of implementing the one or more functions on the e-mail message.

17. An e-mail reader client in accordance with claim 16, wherein the one or more functions are default functions to be performed upon completion of the act of determining.

18. An e-mail reader client in accordance with claim 16, wherein the act of implementing the one or more functions on the e-mail message comprises one of the following:

an act of disabling printing of the e-mail message;

an act of disabling copying of the e-mail message;

an act of disabling saving of the e-mail message;

an act of displaying the e-mail message for a predetermined amount of time;

an act of disabling the display of the e-mail message after displaying the e-mail message for a predetermined amount of time;

an act of disabling editing of addressing fields corresponding to a reply message template;

an act of disabling forwarding of the e-mail message; and

an act of disabling print screening of the e-mail message.

19. An e-mail reader client in accordance with claim 16, wherein the act of determining comprises an act of determining that reply functions are to be limited, wherein the act of implementing the one or more functions on the e-mail message comprises the following:

an act of receiving a user input selection of a reply button;

generating a reply message template in response to the user input selection;

an act of disabling the editing of the addressing fields corresponding to the reply message template.

20. An e-mail reader client in accordance with claim 19, wherein the act of disabling the editing of the reply message template comprises the following:

an act of disabling the editing of the “

TO”

address field;

an act of disabling the editing of the “

CC”

address field; and

an act of disabling the editing of the “

BCC”

address field.