Patent ID: 7856414

Claim:
A method for archiving IP comprising the steps of: establishing a digital archive system capable of receiving and storing IP contributed by an IP-Owner, comprising at least: a network, a server connected to the network, a database system, a content management system, a mirror server, an onsite backup system, an offsite backup system, a disaster recovery system, and one or more redundancy sub-systems each comprising at least a server connected to the network, a database system, a content management system and an onsite backup system; receiving the IP contributed by the IP-Owner; assessing specific characteristics of the IP; determining the cost of archival for the received IP associated with each of a multiple available combinations of archival periods and archival redundancy levels; presenting via the network to IP-Owner the cost of archival for the received IP associated with each of multiple available combinations of archival periods and archival redundancy levels; accepting via the network the combination of archival period and level of archival redundancy selected by the IP-Owner; receiving an initial financial contribution on behalf of the IP-Owner, at least a portion of which forms a discrete archival endowment having a minimum quantum sufficient to maintain the IP in the digital archive system for the selected archival period and level of archival redundancy without the need for further financial contributions; archiving the IP within the digital archive system and the redundancy sub-system at the selected level of archival redundancy; and applying the discrete archival endowment to maintain the IP in the digital archive system for the archival period and the level of archival redundancy, consisting at least the steps of: establishing a specific endowment account for the specific IP; investing the principal amount of the specific endowment account for the specific IP; assessing the current and future periodic (monthly, quarterly or yearly) cost of maintaining the specific IP in the archiving system; disbursing periodically to the operational segment of the archiving system the periodic operating cost for the specific IP, from the investment returns of the endowment account; recording, updating and maintaining a database of disbursement records for archived IPs; linking the disbursement record for the specific IP to the specific IP stored in the archive system.