Patent ID: 8261066

Claim:
A method of managing a plurality of digital assets stored in a computer system comprising at least a first computer, the plurality of digital assets comprising a first digital asset, the first digital asset comprising content and having associated metadata, the method comprising acts of: (A) creating a customized first descriptor file that comprises content that includes at least some of the metadata associated with the first digital asset and an identifier of the first digital asset that is based, at least in part, on a cryptographic hash of at least some of the content of the first digital asset, the first descriptor file being a first type of descriptor file that is one of a plurality of customized descriptor file types created by a user, at least some metadata and behavior being automatically added to the first descriptor file based on the first descriptor file being of the first type, wherein the behavior that is automatically added to the first descriptor file based on the first descriptor file being of the first type is specified by the user and causes the first descriptor file to be placed in a particular folder based on the first descriptor file being of the first type, wherein the particular folder in which the first descriptor file is placed is specified by the user; and (B) storing the first descriptor file on the computer system in the particular folder so that the first descriptor file is accessible as one of the plurality of digital assets and creating an identifier of the first descriptor file that is based, at least in part, on a cryptographic hash of at least some of the content of the first descriptor file.