Network Associates awarded antispam patent

Security software company Network Associates said this week that it has been granted a patent for methods of filtering spam, or unsolicited e-mail. The United States Patent and Trademark Office approved the patent, a sweeping grant for Network Associates' methods and systems used within its McAfee antispam products.

The patent covers a combination of techniques to fight spam, including what's known as compound filters, paragraph hashing and Bayesian rules, according to the company. "Our patented technology provides our customers with reliable antispam solutions as they have come to expect from the industry-leading McAfee brand," Jeff Green, vice president of engineering at Network Associates, said in a statement. The Santa Clara, Calif., company develops software and systems to protect computers from viruses and spam.