Abstract: Unwanted e-mail messages from bulk advertisers (SPAM) are detected and removed from a stream of e-mail, either at a central server location or an individual recipient's location. The basic on-line e-mail message, after elimination of source and addressee identification, is scanned and coded to provide a signature ID code. A set of typically three identical messages going to different e-mail addresses is detected to signify SPAM in the e-mail flow stream. Then the SPAM signature ID code is stored for use in eliminating future such messages at either a central server or one at an individual recipient's site. The signature code is typically calculated numerically, i.e. as the well known checksum in a 16-bit cyclic redundancy check routine.

Abstract: An electronic method for distributing printed media to subscriber stations for viewing on a personal computer and corresponding electronic distribution system is afforded by this invention. Mass distribution of newspaper or periodical magazine copy is made feasible by converting the copy into an electronic data flow stream format with sequentially represented computer files identified for reception, selection and extraction at a subscriber's computer system. This data stream then is transmitted en masse in this format over a narrow bandwidth transmission channel without filtering or logical processing for local area broadcast over a commercial FM broadcast station on a subcarrier frequency. There selected files are extracted at subscriber reception stations from the data flow stream and stored for interactive manipulation and viewing either as printed media or as an image on a PC viewing monitor.