Patent ID: 7254772

Claim:
A method for implementing an expiration condition of an electronic document, comprising: determining an expiration condition for the electronic document; comparing the expiration condition with a reference condition to determine if the expiration condition has been reached; displaying on an electronic display an expiration document view as a visual metaphor of a document physical decrepitude of the electronic document when the comparison of the expiration condition with the reference condition indicates that the expiration condition has been reached; and displaying on an electronic display an active document view as a visual metaphor of a document physical decrepitude of the electronic document when the comparison of the expiration condition with the reference condition indicates that the expiration condition has not been reached; displaying on an electronic display, if the expiration condition has been reached, an expiration document view as a visual metaphor of a document physical decrepitude of the electronic document; and displaying on the electronic display, if the expiration condition has not been reached, an active document view including a progressive document decrepitude view determined based on a comparison of the reference condition with a determined progressive document decrepitude milestone of the document, wherein the visual metaphor of the document physical decrepitude is fixed in space on the electronic document.