Patent ID: 7113948

Claim:
A computer implemented attachment distribution method comprising the steps of: processing an email having a message portion and an attachment portion by a detacher to identify and thereby isolate at least one of the message portion and the attachment portion of the email from the other, the email having a source system and a destination system being associated thereto; generating metadata in response to the email being processed, the metadata for packaging with the attachment portion of the email by the detacher to form an attachment packet, the metadata being descriptive of the email; generating a locator code by the detacher for storing onto a database, the database being in operative association with the detacher; generating a locator object from the locator code by the detacher and embedding the locator object into the message portion of the email to form a message packet; delivering the attachment packet to a holding server by an uploader, the attachment packet having an attachment address, the attachment address identifying the holding server and being indicative of the location of the attachment packet within the holding server, the attachment address being stored onto the database and being associated with the locator code, the uploader being operatively associated with the detacher and the uploader being in data communication with the holding server; and delivering the message packet to the destination system.