Patent ID: 7765267

Claim:
A method for controlling the saving of the contents of an instant messaging session in a session transcript to a log file, comprising: displaying a lock line user interface display object enabling a first session participant to cause a selected message within the contents of said instant messaging session to be locked when said contents of said instant messaging session are saved in said session transcript to said log file by at least one other session participant; wherein locked contents of said instant messaging session saved within said session transcript in said log file cannot be accessed without a key provided by said first participant in said instant messaging session; displaying, to said at least one other session participant, a session transcript log file viewer user interface object displaying said session transcript from said log file, including an indication that said selected message within said session transcript has been locked, wherein said indication that said selected message within said session transcript has been locked enables said at least one other session participant to request said key from said first session participant; displaying, responsive to said at least one other session participant requesting said key from said first session participant, a key recipient user interface object to said first session participant, said key recipient user interface object enabling said first session participant to select said at least one other session participant as a recipient of said key; sending, responsive to said first session participant selecting said at least one other session participant as a recipient of said key, said key to said at least one other session participant; and unlocking said selected message within said session transcript for said at least one other session participant using said key.