Importance

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Abstract

running on a host-based or a Local Area Network server which receives incoming electronic mail (e-mail) messages over a network, which is connected at least periodically to a Wide Area Network or Internet, and stores the e-mail messages in a recipient's private mail box. The server is responsive to a send list signal from the recipient for sending a summary list of brief headers of the e-mail messages to the recipient so that the recipient can select a specific e-mail message to read. The recipient selects the specific e-mail message to read by sending a selection signal to the server which then makes a decision to determine whether the recipient is an opt-in customer who has given approval to receive e-mail messages with advertisements introduced within the e-mail messages. Assuming that the recipient is an opt-in customer, the server selects from the e-mail messages the specific e-mail message which relates to the selection signal received from the recipient, selects from a plurality of advertisements stored in an associate database an advertisement which corresponds to the recipient's name in the selected e-mail message header and which is aligned with the personal interests of the recipient, and sends the selected e-mail message to the recipient and introduces the selected advertisement within the selected e-mail message as it is sent to the recipient.

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First Claim