Patent ID: 7882185

Claim:
A computer implemented method for managing e-mail attachments, the computer implemented method comprising: uploading a file for use as an e-mail attachment from a client to an e-mail server, wherein the file for use as an e-mail attachment is uploaded independent of any particular e-mail message; storing the file for use as an e-mail attachment, wherein a unique identifier is associated with the file for use as an e-mail attachment; presenting, at the client, a list of e-mail attachments stored on an e-mail server in communication with the particular client through a communications link; responsive to a selection at the client of the file for use as an e-mail attachment from the list of e-mail attachments, placing the unique identifier associated with the file for use as an e-mail attachment in the particular e-mail message before the e-mail message is sent from the client to the e-mail server, wherein the file for use as an e-mail attachment was previously uploaded from the client; sending a particular e-mail message from the client to the e-mail server, for subsequent delivery to a recipient, wherein the file for use as an e-mail attachment is absent from the e-mail message sent from the client to the e-mail server; responsive to receiving the particular e-mail message at the e-mail server, operating the e-mail server to determine whether the unique identifier is present in the received e-mail message; responsive to the unique identifier being present, attaching the file for use as an e-mail attachment to the particular e-mail message at the e-mail server; further operating the e-mail server to send the particular e-mail message with the file for use as an e-mail attachment from the e-mail server to the recipient; and removing the unique identifier from the particular e-mail message at the e-mail server, before sending the particular e-mail message to the recipient.