Patent ID: 6959308

Claim:
A method for managing a personal e-document archive of e-documents within a larger collection of e-documents including depositing and making available an electronic copy (E) of a real object to a first party as user (U) as part of the first party's personal e-document archive by a second party (P) within the second party's e-document archive, said method comprising assigning and/or attaching a readable unique identifier (UID) to said real object, creating and depositing said electronic copy (B) of said real object with its associated unique identifier (UID), making available to said user (U) said real object together with said unique identifier (UID), said unique identifier (UID) being presentable to said second party (P) or a third party (S) during an authorization period in which said electronic copy (E) is available to said user (U) to obtain an access certificate (AC) in place of said electronic copy (E), the access certificate granting to the user (U) an option to obtain future access to said electronic copy (B) anytime during a predefined period that may be longer than said authorization period, and after no unique identifiers (UID) have been presented to the service provider (S) and the expiration of access certificates for the said electronic copy (E), deleting the said electronic copy (E).