Patent ID: 6625734
Filing Date: 2003-09-23
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method for controlling and tracking access to a message that is communicated from a first node to a second node in a network, the method comprising the computer-implemented steps of:receiving a request from the first node for a message identifier that uniquely identifies the message and a key that may be used to encode the message; generating, in response to the request, both the message identifier and the key; providing both the message identifier and the key to the first node to allow the message to be encoded with the key to generate an encoded message; receiving a request from the second node for the key; providing the key to the second node to allow the encoded message to be decoded and the message to be retrieved using the key; and deleting the key based upon specified key policy criteria to prevent copies of the encoded message from being decoded; wherein the stored policy criteria includes an instruction to delete all messages that are generated before a specified expiration date.