Patent ID: 8301901

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: providing a processor capable of manipulating electrical signals; providing a network interface, the network interface including a physical or wireless connection to a network; receiving a request via the network interface to generate a signed assertion relating to a piece of content; using an executable reputation statement generation process to create a reputation statement concerning a known entity from reputation-forming information (RFI) associated with the known entity, the reputation statement relating to a quality or characteristic of the known entity; generating by a different entity a signed assertion from the reputation statement and the piece of content, the generating comprising embedding the piece of content and the reputation statement with an assertion and signing a portion of the assertion comprising at least one of the embedded piece of content and the embedded reputation statement to generate said signed assertion, wherein the generating comprises generating the signed assertion to have a validity that is restricted by one or both of a time restriction and a restriction that limits use of the signed assertion to a predetermined use, and is accomplished by manipulating electrical signals within the processor, and wherein the signed assertion includes at least a portion of the RFI used to generate the reputation statement and a representation of the executable reputation statement generation process; and transmitting the signed assertion via the network interface.