E-mails

[iloveglee]

Does anyone know who an e-mail belongs to, is it the person who sends it, or the person who receives it. Someone recently sent me an e-mail, I did not reply to it, neither did I forward it to anyone. The sender says she definitely did not copy anyone into it, on my copy of it there is no-one listed as having had a copy. Now a third person has got a copy of it and is using its contents against the sender. I am very concerned as to how this third person got hold of it and whether they can legally use its contents against the sender.

[rojash]

E-mails are inherently insecure and should not be used for sending sensitive information (unless securely encrypted).
Not sure what you mean by "legally use its contents". In the first place, to use it in a legal sense they would need to provide provenance. i.e. They'd have to prove that it actually originated with your friend. In so doing, they'd also have to prove how they obtained it. Both would be difficult, and if they managed to prove that, they'd probably end up proving that they obtained it illegally, thus shooting themselves in the foot!

[bookbinder]

My guess is that it's rather like a letter that you put in the post. As soon as you put it in the pillar box, it belongs to the Royal Mail. When they deliver it, it becomes the recipient's property. When you send your e-mail, it becomes the property of your e-mail provider until it is received (i.e. opened) by the recipient.

[rojash]

"When you send your e-mail, it becomes the property of your e-mail provider until it is received (i.e. opened) by the recipient. "

That would not make sense at all. Once an e-mail leaves your machine it can pass through literally hundreds of systems, none of which are under the control of you, your ISP, or your e-mail provider.

[bookbinder]

I stand corrected. You are quite right, rojash.

[iloveglee]

Thanks. I think I can assume the e-mail and its contents belongs to me as I have opened it. So if someone has obtained this nefariously, it is me that has the grievance against the person who has it, not the person who sent it. Although the person who sent it is the one having it used against them.