Patent ID: 7996775

Claim:
A method of providing instant messaging communication between a first user and at least one other user via a communication network, comprising: executing an instant messaging client at a user terminal of the first user, said instant messaging client having a user interface comprising a message composition region; said instant messaging client displaying a control arranged to initiate a selection of media for insertion into said instant messaging communication responsive to selection by said first user; said instant messaging client receiving a selection of media for insertion into said instant messaging communication from said first user; said instant messaging client generating a link comprising the address of the selected media at a network element remote from the user terminal and creating a selectable control with said link embedded therein, whereby the media is accessible by activating the selectable control; inserting said selectable control in the message composition region of said instant messaging client; said instant messaging client receiving user-viewable text entered by said first user into said message composition region in addition to said selectable control; and said instant messaging client transmitting the contents of said message composition region of the instant messaging client, including the selectable control and the user-viewable text, as a message to the at least one other user over said communication network responsive to a command from said first user.