Patent ID: 7870392

Claim:
A computer implemented method for accessing an annotated data object, the method computer implemented method comprising: performing with a computer processor following steps: generating a digital fingerprint with a first value for a data object; mapping at least a first annotation created at a first storage location to the digital fingerprint with the first value; mapping the first storage location to the annotation and the digital fingerprint with the first value; accessing the data object from at least a second storage location comprising the data object that is different than the first storage location; regenerating, in response to the accessing, a digital fingerprint with a second value for the data object, the first value and the second value being equal; mapping the at least second storage location to the digital fingerprint with the second value, the mapping the at least second storage location to the digital fingerprint with the second value creates an association between the first storage location and the at least second storage location of the data object and the digital fingerprint with the second value; and retrieving, at the at least second storage location and based on the association that has been created for the digital fingerprint with the second value, the first annotation created at the first storage location.