Patent ID: 8832801

Claim:
A method of operating a network server to control distribution of information stored on a network, comprising: receiving data units, each including an information object, from a community of users via a network; storing, in a database, the received data units, each in association with an identifier of the user in the user community from whom the applicable data unit was received and a sharing (S) limitation parameter, wherein the stored data units include a first stored data unit received from a first user in the user community; receiving an inquiry, directed to the first user, requesting information relevant to a particular subject, from a second user in the community via the network; transmitting the received inquiry to the first user via the network; receiving, via the network in response to the transmitted inquiry, authorization of the first user to share the stored first data unit with the second user; receiving, subsequent to receipt of the first user share authorization, a request to access the stored first data unit from the second user via the network; allowing, based on the received first user share authorization and in response to the received access request, the second user to access the stored first data unit via the network; receiving, via the network, authorization of the second user to share the stored first data unit with a third user in the community of users; receiving, subsequent to receipt of the second user share authorization, a request to access the stored first data unit from the third user via the network; denying, based on the stored S limitation parameter and in response to received third user access request, access to the stored first data unit by the third user; and receiving, from the first user via the network, revocation of the first user share authorization; receiving, subsequent to receipt of the first user share revocation, another request to access the first data unit from the second user via the network; and denying, based on the received first user revocation and in response to the received other access request, access to the first data unit by the second user.