Patent ID: 8677259

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for annotating, on a client computer system, a multimedia object, the method comprising: providing the multimedia object to the client computer system, the client computer system adapted to render a web page that includes the multimedia object; providing an annotation program to the client computer system, the annotation program configured to enable the creation and display of annotation data for the multimedia object at the client computer system, wherein the annotation program is adapted to execute on the client computer system to: generate one or more layers, including a transparent layer, at least partially located over the multimedia object displayed on the rendered web page, wherein the one or more layers are configured to facilitate the creation and display of annotation data for the multimedia object based on user interface events produced by a user of the client computer system; receive annotation data for the multimedia object from the user, the annotation data indicating a specific location within the multimedia object with which the annotation data is associated; and transmit the annotation data to an annotation server for storage; receiving the annotation data at the annotation server; determining if the specific location is within a specified spatial distance of a second location within the multimedia object indicated in an existing annotation record for the multimedia object in a database of the annotation server; responsive to determining that the specific location is within the specified spatial distance of the second location indicated in the existing annotation record for the multimedia object, associating the annotation data with the existing annotation record in the database of the annotation server; responsive to determining that the specific location is not within the specified spatial distance of the second location indicated in the existing annotation record for the multimedia object, creating a new annotation record for the multimedia object in the database of the annotation server; and storing the annotation data in the database of the annotation server.