Spam control based on sender account characteristics
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of controlling the usage of a communications account, the method comprising:
- accessing communications account characteristics that indicate the communications account is being operated by a spammer and that indicate the communications account is not being operated by a spammer, wherein accessing the communications account characteristics includes accessing information indicative of characteristics which include one or more of the following;
a length of time the communications account has been maintained,access by the communications account of services not relating to email,access or status of parental controls for the communications account,a difference in proportion or number between outgoing and incoming communications, andwhether an intended recipient of a communication by the communications account has previously sent a communication to the communications account;
determining an aggregate measure that indicates a likelihood that the communications account is being used by a spammer based on the characteristics that indicate the communications account is being operated by a spammer and characteristics that indicate the communications account is not being operated by a spammer, wherein the characteristics that indicate the communications account is being operated by a spammer and the characteristics that indicate the communications account is not being operated by a spammer offset each other when used to determine the aggregate measure;
determining whether the communications account is being operated by a spammer based on comparing the aggregate measure to at least one threshold measure to determine whether the aggregate measure indicates that the communications account is being operated by a spammer; and
preventing outgoing communications from leaving the communications account in response to the determination that the communications account is being operated by a spammer based on the aggregate measure, wherein the communications account is located at a client terminal or is located at a communications server associated with the client terminal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The characteristics of a communications account are used to determine whether the account is being used by a spammer. When the account is being used by a spammer, the use of the account for outgoing communications is limited to help prevent spam from being sent from the account. For example, communications from the account can be blocked, messages from the account may be delivered to a spam folder at the recipient (rather than an “inbox”), or outgoing messages from the account may be rate-limited.
113 Citations
80 Claims
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1. A method of controlling the usage of a communications account, the method comprising:
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accessing communications account characteristics that indicate the communications account is being operated by a spammer and that indicate the communications account is not being operated by a spammer, wherein accessing the communications account characteristics includes accessing information indicative of characteristics which include one or more of the following; a length of time the communications account has been maintained, access by the communications account of services not relating to email, access or status of parental controls for the communications account, a difference in proportion or number between outgoing and incoming communications, and whether an intended recipient of a communication by the communications account has previously sent a communication to the communications account; determining an aggregate measure that indicates a likelihood that the communications account is being used by a spammer based on the characteristics that indicate the communications account is being operated by a spammer and characteristics that indicate the communications account is not being operated by a spammer, wherein the characteristics that indicate the communications account is being operated by a spammer and the characteristics that indicate the communications account is not being operated by a spammer offset each other when used to determine the aggregate measure; determining whether the communications account is being operated by a spammer based on comparing the aggregate measure to at least one threshold measure to determine whether the aggregate measure indicates that the communications account is being operated by a spammer; and preventing outgoing communications from leaving the communications account in response to the determination that the communications account is being operated by a spammer based on the aggregate measure, wherein the communications account is located at a client terminal or is located at a communications server associated with the client terminal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A computer storage medium having a computer program embodied thereon for controlling the usage of a communications account, the computer program comprising instructions for causing a computer to perform the following operations:
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access communications account characteristics that indicate the communications account is being operated by a spammer and that indicate the communications account is not being operated by a spammer wherein accessing the communications account characteristics includes accessing information indicative of characteristics which include one or more of the following; a length of time the communications account has been maintained, access by the communications account of services not relating to email, access or status of parental controls for the communications account, a difference in proportion or number between outgoing and incoming communications, and whether an intended recipient of a communication by the communications account has previously sent a communication to the communications account; determine an aggregate measure that indicates a likelihood that the communications account is being used by a spammer based on the characteristics that indicate the communications account is being operated by a spammer and characteristics that indicate the communications account is not being operated by a spammer, wherein the characteristics that indicate the communications account is being operated by a spammer and the characteristics that indicate the communications account is not being operated by a spammer offset each other when used to determine the aggregate measure; determine whether the communications account is being operated by a spammer based on comparing the aggregate measure to at least one threshold measure to determine whether the aggregate measure indicates that the communications account is being operated by a spammer; and prevent outgoing communications from leaving the communications account in response to the determination that the communications account is being operated by a spammer based on the aggregate measure, wherein the communications account is located at a client terminal or is located at a communications server associated with the client terminal. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A method of controlling the usage of a communications account, the method comprising:
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accessing a sender'"'"'s communications account characteristics that enable perception that the communications account is being operated by a spammer and that enable perception that the communications account is not being operated by a spammer, wherein the account characteristics are associated with one or more of the following; a length of time the account has been maintained, access by the account of services other than services relating to email, access or status of parental controls for the account, a difference in proportion or number between outgoing and incoming communications, and whether an intended recipient of a communication by the account has previously sent a communication to the account; determining an aggregate measure that indicates the likelihood that the communications account is being operated by a spammer based on the characteristics that enable perception that the communications account is being operated by a spammer and characteristics that enable perception that the communications account is not being operated by a spammer, wherein the characteristics that enable perception that the communications account is being operated by a spammer and the characteristics that enable perception that the communications account is not being operated by a spammer offset each other when used to determine the aggregate measure; determining whether the communications account is being operated by a spammer based on comparing the aggregate measure to at least one threshold measure to determine whether the characteristics of the communications account indicate that the communications account is being operated by a spammer; and limiting the use of the communications account for outgoing communications when the communications account is determined to be operated by a spammer. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
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68. A computer storage medium having a computer program embodied thereon for controlling the usage of a communications account, the computer program comprising instructions for causing a computer to perform the following operations:
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access a sender'"'"'s communications account characteristics that enable perception that the communications account is being operated by a spammer and that enable perception that the communications account is not being operated by a spammer, wherein the account characteristics are associated with one or more of the following; a length of time the account has been maintained, access by the account of services other than services relating to email, access or status of parental controls for the account, a difference in proportion or number between outgoing and incoming communications, and whether an intended recipient of a communication by the account has previously sent a communication to the account; determine an aggregate measure that indicates the likelihood that the communications account is being operated by a spammer based on the characteristics that enable perception that the communications account is being operated by a spammer and characteristics that enable perception that the communications account is not being operated by a spammer, wherein the characteristics that enable perception that the communications account is being operated by a spammer and the characteristics that enable perception that the communications account is not being operated by a spammer offset each other when used to determine the aggregate measure; determine whether the communications account is being operated by a spammer based on comparing the aggregate measure to at least one threshold measure to determine whether the characteristics of the communications account indicate that the communications account is being operated by a spammer; and limit the use of the communications account for outgoing communications when the communications account is determined to be operated by a spammer. - View Dependent Claims (69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80)
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Specification