A company has been granted a patent in the US for a method of
automatically forwarding e-mail messages from an old to a new
e-mail address. US-based Mail Registry, which specialises in
e-commerce consulting, told web site MacCentral that its patent
“will revolutionise e-mail mobility, accessibility and
availability.”
According to the short description of the patent, it covers:
"Systems and methods for automatically
determining if the recipient of electronic mail that is unknown at
the receiving server has left a 'forwarding address' with a
forwarding address server, thereby allowing either the receiving
server, the sending server, or the sending user (computer system),
or any other party to the communication, to automatically send the
electronic mail content to the correct new address. In addition to
this automatic 'forwarding', the sending user is notified as to the
new electronic mail address so as to allow the sending user to
update manually, or automatically, the user's individual database
of electronic mail addresses."
MacCentral reports that Mail Registry plans to make the patented
software available for free, but it will charge around $20 per year
in registration fees.
