ELECTRONIC MAIL FILTERING BY ELECTRONIC STAMP

An improved method and apparatus for filtering electronic mail. The method and apparatus allows the receiver of electronic mail to make a decision to accept, reject, prioritize, or expedite delivery of a piece of electronic mail based on the value of an attached electronic stamp. The apparatus consists of two complimentary parts: a sender side part with responsibility for attaching the electronic stamp; and a receiver side part with responsibility for removing the electronic stamp and filtering the electronic mail based on the value of the electronic stamp. The method and apparatus are used in a system for reducing or eliminating the amount of junk electronic mail in the electronic mail system.