Double opt-in.TM. method and system for verifying subscriptions to information distribution services

A system for generating subscription address lists comprising:

• means for receiving a subscription request containing a particular subscriber address;
• means for generating a token associated with the particular subscriber address;
• means for sending a verification message containing the token to the particular subscriber address;
• means for receiving a confirmation message;
• means for parsing the confirmation message to extract a received token and a received subscriber address;
• means for verifying that the received token is associated with the received subscriber address;
• and
• means for adding the received subscriber address to a subscription address list in response to a successful verification of the confirmation message.

A method for electronically distributing a directed message to pre-selected e-mail addresses comprising the steps of:

• receiving a subscription request containing a particular subscriber e-mail address;
• generating a token associated with the particular subscriber e-mail address;
• sending a verification message containing the token to the particular subscriber e-mail address;
• receiving a confirmation message;
• parsing the confirmation message to extract a received token and a received subscriber e-mail address;
• verifying that the received token is associated with the received subscriber e-mail address;
• adding the received subscriber e-mail address to a subscription address list in response to a successful verification of the confirmation message;
• receiving said directed message;
• sending said directed message to at least one subscriber e-mail address contained in said subscription address list.

A system for generating subscription address lists comprising:

• a subscription solicitation system connected to a distributed computer network and receiving subscription requests each including a particular subscriber e-mail address;
• a primary computer system connected to said network and receiving said subscription requests;
• said primary computer system comprising:
• a token generator providing a token associated with the particular subscriber address;
• a verification message generator providing a verification message directed to the particular subscriber address and including said associated token;
• an electronic mail server receiving said verification message as input and directing said verification message to the particular subscriber address;
• a confirmation subsystem responsive to the receipt of a confirmation message by said electronic mail server to extract a received token and a received subscriber address from the confirmation message;
• a comparator receiving the received token and the token associated with the received subscriber address as inputs and providing a verification signal as output, said verification signal indicating a successful verification when said inputs are equal;
• and
• a mailing list generation subsystem receiving said verification signal and received subscriber address as input and appending the received subscriber address to a subscription address list when said verification signal indicates a successful verification.