E-mail software and method and system for distributing advertisements to client devices that have such e-mail software installed thereon

Abstract

In one aspect, the present invention provides a system for distributing advertisements to a multiplicity of client devices each of which is configured for communications via a communications network, which system includes an advertisement distribution facility that communicates with each of the client devices over the communications network, via a respective advertisement download communication link. Preferably, each of the client devices downloads advertisements from the advertisement distribution facility via the respective advertisement download communication link, and each of the client devices communicates with a data communications service provider over the communications network via a respective data communications link that is separate from the respective advertisement download communication link.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.