Andy,

Is it possible to get proof an email has been read?

*Proof* ? No.

Why ? Because it depends on cooperation of the email-reader of the
recipient. My email reader for example does not support it (and if it
would I would have disabled it. :-) ).

I have no read receipt capability.

That feature would just just enable you to include a *request* for read
confirmation. It in no way can force it (see above).

I can get proof I sent it by sending a BCC copy to myself.

Proof of what ? Not that the recipient has read your message, thats for
sure.

You see, It just confirms that the (SMTP) server (owned by your ISP ?) you
send your email to has received it. It does not even guarantee that the
message will even reach the recipients (POP3/IMAP/other) server.

Think of it this way: You have a package that you are dropping off at the
postal office, and you get a slip indicating they accepted the package.
Does that proof that whomever you addressed the package to received it ? I
don't think so. :-)


As for the "trick" to send HTML-ed mail including a(n invisible) picture
thats hosted on a server you control (and someone requesting that picture
shows the person has opened your message) ? That also depends on the
recipients email reader cooperating. For example, I read my mails
text-only. That means that I could read your message without making you
any wiser to that fact ...

Besides, being able to detect an embedded image having been loaded does not
proof that the message itself has actually been read.
Anti-virus/malware/etc programs anyone ? (which could easily prefetch
resources, and depending on the contents even quarantine, or even downright
delete messages)

tl;dr:

No. It is not possible to generate any kind of (dependable) proof that an
email message you send has actually been read.

Regards,
Rudy Wieser