Patent Application
20080034046
Within system 100, in general, the entity that is in the best position to determine whether an email 105 is spam is the recipient 110 that receives the message. Thus, it is desirable for recipients 110 to be provided with a means for indicating that a received email is spam. As will be described in detail below, the means for indicating can be a feature offered by an email service provider. Regardless of how the indication function is implemented, it is desirable for service 102 to be equipped to actively respond to indications in a manner that will reduce or eliminate subsequent transmissions of spam from mail servers 108. For example, service 102 might respond by preventing a recipient from receiving subsequent emails from the same sender 104.
Email sending service 102 illustratively includes a tracking component 120. Component 120 is configured to enable service 102 to uniquely track each email 105. For example, component 120 illustratively tracks, for each email sent from server 108, the customer on whose behalf the email was sent, the recipient of the email the date/time the email was sent, and/or any other identifying component. In one embodiment, identifiers are incorporated into the header information of each email sent from servers 108. The identifiers are indicative of unique information tracked by component 120 on an email-by-email basis.
As is known in the art, each recipient 110 receives email through an email interface provided by an email service provider. Within
Email service provider 116 includes a spam identification component 122. Identification component 122 enables a recipient 110 to identify a received email 105 as spam. In one embodiment, the identification means provided to the recipient does not require the recipient to click an unsubscribe link provided in the spam email 105 (e.g., a link that enables the recipient to unsubscribe from receiving future emails from the sender). In one embodiment, email service provider 116 instead provides a “mark as spam” function (e.g., a button, a check box, etc.) that is integrated into the email interface. Through the “mark as spam” function, a recipient can communicate to email service provider 116 that a particular email 105 is spam. This communication does not require navigating a link embedded in the email itself.
Email service provider 116 also includes an email source tracking component 124. When recipient 110 indicates to provider 116 that a particular email 105 is spam, component 124 enables the provider to track whether the mail server that sent out the email is a known bulk email providing source. In one embodiment, the tracking function is based on the IP address of the mail server used to send out the email, though other means or tracking should be considered within the scope of the present invention. In one embodiment, when it is determined positively that the source of the spam email is indeed a bulk email sending service, then the email is forwarded to a contact email address for the bulk email providing service (e.g., provided via a registration process wherein bulk email sending services register with email service providers). The spam email is illustratively marked as “complaint.” Reports of spam emails are illustratively shown in
When bulk email sending service 102 receives a complaint report 121, tracking component 120 analyzes the included corresponding email in order to identify the customer 104 who requested that the email be sent to the recipient. In one embodiment, the email sending service 102 records this information and, if the customer 104 attempts to send subsequent emails to the same recipient via the sending service, then the service blocks (i.e., does not send) those emails.
In one embodiment, bulk email sending service 102 responds to spam reports 121 through action other than blocking subsequent mails. For example, service 102 can send out a warning to a customer 104, temporarily suspend the customer's account, and/or take other action as is deemed appropriate. The action is taken can be made dependent upon the number of complaint receives in total, in response to a particular email campaign, from a single recipient, etc. Further, action could be based on a calculation that is more complex than a simple counting of complaint reports. For example, action could be taken when the ratio of the number of unique recipients who complain with respect to a total number of recipients the email was sent out to surpasses a predetermined threshold. Those skilled in the art will appreciate many other similar enforcement schemes could be implemented. Those noted herein are only example of what is to be considered within the scope of the present invention.
As should now be apparent, system 100 enables a recipient to report spam emails to an entity that they trust, namely, their email service provider. Further, the email service provider forwards the spam email in the form of a complaint to an entity that they trust, namely, the bulk email sending service.
In one embodiment, as is indicated by block 130, the transactions between the email service provider and the bulk email sending service are secured in order to ensure trustworthy communication. For example, the communication path, whether it is email-based or otherwise, can illustratively be secured through implementation of means such as, but not limited to, a digital signature scheme that enables a verification of the source of communication. Communication between a recipient and their email service provider can be similarly secured to ensure trustworthy communications.
In accordance with block 206 (shown in the Fig. as an optional implementation, rather than embedding the actual identifying information within email 105, it is also within the scope of the present invention to embed an identifier that can be cross-referenced against a database containing the actual identifying information. For example, in one embodiment, tracking component 120 is configured to generate, and embed within email 105, a unique GUID that can be cross referenced against a database that contains corresponding identifying information (e.g., the recipient, the customer, the email content, the data-time the email was sent, etc.). Those skilled in the art will appreciate that a GUID is but one of many examples of identifiers that can be utilized to uniquely identify an email for purposes such as those described herein. Other mechanisms can be utilized without diverging from the scope of the present invention. For example, the embedded identifier could just as easily be any number that enables emails to be distinguishable from one another.
In one embodiment, security techniques can be applied such that the embedded identifier or actual embedded identifying information can be interpreted only by bulk email sending service 102. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are many ways to accomplish this security goal. In one example, the embedded identifier or actual identifying information could be encrypted such that it can only be decrypted by bulk email sending service 102. The option of encrypting is shown in
In accordance with block 210, a recipient 110 notifies its email service provider 116 that a received email 105 is spam. The recipient illustratively accomplishes this notification by means of an easy-to-use mechanism provided by the email service provider. For example, in one embodiment, the recipient clocks a “mark as spam” button when viewing the spam email.
The spam notification, whatever form it is in, illustratively goes back to the email service provider. The service provider illustratively has access to the email contents and is able to read the headers in order to identify the IP address of the bulk email servers that sent out the email. The service provider illustratively maintains a list of all bulk email sending services who participate in the “spam-check” system described herein. The list illustratively includes, for a given bulk email sending service, the IP address of their email sending servers as well as contact details (e.g., an email address) that outline where “complaints” about emails can be sent. Thus, in accordance with block 212, using information in the email header, the email service provider identifies the bulk email sending service associated with the IP address from which the email was sent.
In accordance with block 214, email service provider 116 forwards a spam complaint to the responsible bulk email sending service. The spam complaint includes (or entirely consists of) a copy of the relevant email. The spam complaint can be as simple as a copy of the email tagged as a complaint. In one embodiment, the spam complaint is sent to an email address registered to the responsible bulk email sending service.
Thus, in this manner, bulk email sending service 102 collects complaint emails from email service providers of recipients. In accordance with block 216, using the uniquely identifiable information included in the email headers, service 102 can identify the responsible customer 104, the recipient, the data-time the emails was sent out, etc. With this type of information, in accordance with block 218, service 102 can take corrective action based on the complaint.
The most appropriate nature and type of corrective action will depend at least upon the business procedures and values of a given sending service.
As is demonstrated by block 302 in
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention could just as easily be implemented for a purpose other than defending against spam or other forms of unsolicited email. In one embodiment, a user identifies can identify an email as “subscription no longer wanted” rather than as “spam.” In response, the email service provider identifies the responsible bulk provider and sends the email with an indication that the recipient wants to unsubscribe from the list and/or from further emails from the same sender. The recipient is then removed accordingly either by the sending service (subsequent messages blocked) or by the customer (user information and indication that user wants to unsubscribe is sent to the customer). Thus, the same system can be implemented as a means for a user to unsubscribe to a period email that is was but is no longer desired.
In accordance with other aspect of the present invention, “opt-in” measures can be implemented so as to enable recipients to choose to receive emails from certain senders.
In one opt-in embodiment, a recipient can choose to opt-in to receive communications sent on behalf of a customer from a bulk email sending service. In other words, the recipient agrees to receive mail from a particular customer of the email sending service.
A GUID, an encrypted unique value or some other identifier is illustratively embedded in the reply message or link to uniquely identify the relevant recipient and/or customer. In accordance with boxes 408 and 410, if the bulk email sending service receives the opt-in message, the recipient will be flagged accordingly, and the bulk mailing service will support subsequent communications from the relevant customer to the relevant recipient. In accordance with blocks 404 and 406, if the recipient does not reply to the message, then subsequent attempts by the relevant customer to utilize the sending service to send email to the relevant recipient will fail. In one embodiment, once N days have passed, then the customer can send another message to the recipient. An indication by a recipient to receive emails from a particular customer could just as easily be configured to expire after a predefined period of time. In one embodiment, when the user communicates permission to receive subsequent emails, the user indicates whether and when that permission should expire. The sending service acts accordingly, and following an expiration, might send another email with opportunity to again give permission for subsequent emails from the customer.
Accordingly, in one embodiment, a bulk emailing system is configured to require a recipient to explicitly declare their intention and desire to receive communications from a given customer. One way to facilitate the explicit declaration is via a message reply or a clinking of a link. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that these are just examples and that other means are to be considered within the scope of the present invention.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention is not limited to scenarios that involve bulk email sending services. Any email service can be substituted into the same or similar systems without departing from the scope of the present invention. The concept of a bulk email sending service is provided solely for the purpose of providing one example of an applicable scenario. Further, the present invention is not necessarily limited to an email sending service.
In one embodiment, the methods described herein for reducing or eliminating spam can be extended beyond emailing services. For example, similar methods can be applied to RSS (Really Simple Syndication) processing. RSS is a way for entities to communicte updates or announcements to partners or customers via a computer network (e.g., the Internet) using standard protocols (e.g., HTTP, XML, etc.).
An RSS system is similar to an email system in that the technology enables an entity to communicate announcements or messages (as well as corresponding content) to a plurality of recipients. However, an RSS system is less prone to the sending of data on an unsolicited basis. This is at least because, with RSS systems, the publisher of the content does not send data in the form of mail to recipients. Instead, the recipient establishes a relationship and then voluntarily pulls down information published by the sender on a server.
In accordance with boxes 604 and 606, if the recipient does not comply with the provided instructions, then he or she will not receive corresponding RSS feeds from the particular source. However, in accordance with boxes 608 and 610, if the recipient does comply with the instructions (e.g., by clicking the link) then there is an automatic configuration of the recipient's RSS reader so as to subscribe to the relevant RSS feed(s). In one embodiment, the feed URL in the email contains unique identifiers that identify the customer and/or subscriber. These identifiers can be leveraged by the sending service for subsequent message processing, such in a scenario wherein the sending service handles RSS message processing.
Accordingly, in one embodiment, the RSS process (e.g., the RSS URL) is hosted by the email sending service. In this case, the sending service essentially acts as the RSS server. Whenever the customer desires to send additional messages, the email sending service hosts message content on web servers (e.g., in the form of HTML web pages). The email sending service updates the customer's RSS feed as the customer desires. The subscriber gets new messages, announcements, content, etc. by way of the RSS reader.
All parties involved benefit from the implementation of RSS techniques as described. Customers get guaranteed delivery; no longer do they have to worry about getting placed in junk mail folders of intended recipients. Recipients get announcements as they occur without having to sift through their inbox (although in some systems RSS feeds can sometimes be delivered to an email inbox if the user desires this to happen). The email sending service gains the comfort of knowing that fewer and fewer unsolicited emails will be sent from their servers, thus enhancing quality of service.
Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.
