Patent ID: 8190884

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of providing a global name space to subscribers of a computer-readable registry stored in a computer memory, comprising: associating, in a first user record associated with a first subscriber, (1) a first service provider identity of the first subscriber and (2) a first unique identifier internal to the registry, including the steps of: receiving at a microprocessor of the registry the first service provider identity to associate with the first user record on behalf of the first subscriber; causing the registry to send a challenge to an application of the first subscriber; receiving by the registry, from a service provider that previously authenticated the first service provider identity, information indicating that a correct response to the challenge was received, wherein the receiving information indicating that the correct response to the challenge was received comprises receiving the challenge from the service provider that previously authenticated the first service provider identity; and associating the first service provider identity to the first user record on behalf of the first subscriber after receiving the information indicating that the correct response to the challenge was received; querying the registry to determine if the first service provider identity is stored within the registry; associating, in a second user record associated with a second subscriber, (1) a nickname for the first subscriber and (2) the first unique identifier internal to the registry without exposing the first unique identifier to the second subscriber.