Patent ID: 8601014

Claim:
A method for utilizing a unique, universal file code for a file, the method comprising: in response to determining by a processing unit that a new file is being created for the first time, the processing unit determining each of a plurality of core elements comprising: a unique hardware identifier that is unique to a device on which the new file is being created, wherein the unique hardware identifier is media access control address, a disk identifier or an international mobile equipment identifier number; a software product license key that is unique to a software product used by the device to create the new file; an operating system identifier that is unique to an operating system used by the device to create the new file; a user identifier that is unique to a user creating the new file; a checksum computed from a totality of a data content of the new file; and a name of a checksum algorithm used to compute the checksum; the processing unit creating a universal file code for the new file comprising the plurality of the core elements; the processing unit adding the created universal file code to file metadata of the new file; and saving the new file with the created universal file code added to the file metadata of the new file.