Method, apparatus and system for regulating electronic mail

摘要

A Postal Authority regulated e-Mail messaging application is provided over a public network to a plurality of mailers and addressees using authenticated transaction records. The application transmits at least one e-Mail message through at least one e-Mail account configured for a specific class of service. The application creates transaction records relevant to the specific class of service based upon details of completed transactions. Electronic postmarks are obtained to authenticate transaction records. Authenticated transaction records are sent to the mailer. A unique identifier of an electronic postmark is embedded in the e-Mail message. The e-Mail message incorporating the unique identifier is sent to at least one addressee. Authenticated e-Mail messages and transaction records are created and protected from undetectable modification.

主权项

1. A method for processing an electronic mail message (“email”), comprising:
receiving, at a computing device, the email, the email being transmitted from an electronic device; generating, by the computing device, a transaction record relevant to a specific class of service of the email based upon details of a transaction associated with the email; receiving, by the computing device, an electronic postmark, the electronic postmark configured to authenticate the transaction record resulting in an authenticated transaction record; adding, by the computing device, a unique identifier of the electronic postmark to the email; transmitting the email, including the unique identifier, from the computing device; transmitting the authenticated transaction record from the computing device to the electronic device, the authenticated transaction record being transmitted to confirm the delivery of the email, including a confirmation of restricted delivery of the email to an addressee, the delivery of the email to the addressee configured to provide a notification of the email via a notice; receiving, by the computing device, the digitally signed notice via an electronic universal reference locator-type link in the notice; and delivering, by the computing device, a key to the addressee, the key configured to facilitate opening of the email.