Selectively activated integrated real-time recording of telephone conversations with automated documentation of consent to call recording

A computer readable medium for use in a telephone call recording system, comprising:

• a call record stored in the computer readable medium and including:
• a telephone number of a called party associated with a telephone call;
• an indication of at least one of:
• a prompt that was played informing the calling party that the telephone call may be recorded;
• a prompt that was played informing the calling party that the telephone call would not be recorded;
• an indication of the calling party's consent or refusal of consent to recording of the telephone call in response to the prompt informing the calling party that the telephone call may be recorded;
• and
• an indication that the call was blocked in response to the indication of the calling party's refusal of consent to the recording of the call.

A computer program product for obtaining consent to the recording of telephone calls, comprising:

• a computer readable medium;
• an executable computer program stored on the computer readable medium, for controlling a computer system to perform the operations of:
• receiving from a calling party a telephone number of a called party to completing a telephone call;
• playing a first prompt requesting the calling party to consent to the recording of the telephone call;
• receiving a first input signal from the calling party in response to the first prompt indicating either the calling party's consent or the refusal;
• storing an indication of either the calling party's consent or refusal to consent to the recording of the telephone call received from the first input signal;
• and
• blocking the telephone call in response to the indication of the calling party's refusal to consent to the recording of the telephone call from the received first input signal.

A computer program product for obtaining consent to the recording of telephone calls, comprising:

• a computer readable medium;
• a plurality of recorded prompts in at least two different languages, and including:
• at least one prompt indicating that a telephone call will not be recorded;
• at least one prompt indicating that a telephone call may be recorded;
• a computer executable program stored on the computer readable medium for controlling a computer system to perform the operations of:
• establishing a telephone call to an input telephone number from a calling party to a called party;
• selecting a language for, and at least one of, the prompts for playing to the calling party as to whether the telephone call to the input telephone number is to be recorded;
• playing the selected prompt in the selected language to the calling party;
• recording an input from the calling party in response to the selected prompt as to whether the calling party consents or refuses to consent to recording of the telephone call;
• and
• blocking the telephone call in response to the recorded input when the recorded input indicates that the calling party refuses to consent to the recording of the telephone call.

A computer system for obtaining consent to the recording of telephone calls, comprising:

• a storage device for storing a plurality of recorded prompts in at least two different languages, including:
• at least one prompt indicating that a telephone call will not be recorded;
• at least one prompt indicating that a telephone call may be recorded;
• a memory;
• a telephone interface for coupling the computer system to a telephone network;
• a processor coupled to the memory for executing a computer program stored in the memory;
• and
• a computer program stored in the memory for controlling the computer system to perform the operations of:
• establishing a telephone call to an input telephone number from a calling party to a called party;
• selecting a language for, and at least one of, the prompts for playing to the calling party as to whether the telephone call to the input telephone number is to be recorded;
• playing the selected prompt in the selected language to the calling party;
• recording an input from the calling party in response to the selected prompt as to whether the calling party consents or refuses to consent to recording of the telephone call;
• and
• blocking the telephone call when the input from the calling party indicates refusal to consent to the recording of the telephone call.

A computer implemented method of obtaining consent to the recording of telephone calls, comprising:

• establishing a call record of a telephone call made by a calling party to a called party;
• playing a first prompt requesting the calling party to consent to, or to refuse a recording of the telephone call;
• receiving a first input signal from the calling party in response to the first prompt that indicates either the calling party's consent or the refusal of consent to the recording of the telephone call;
• storing an indication of either the calling party's consent or refusal of consent to the recording of the telephone call in the call record as indicated by the first input signal;
• and
• overriding an indication of a refusal in the received first input signal if recording of the call is necessary.