Patent ID: 7487441

Claim:
A method of providing a rich media item for enhancing user interaction with a messaging program comprising the steps of: providing access to a selection of user selectable rich media items through a messaging program interface which may be used to create a message containing a user selected rich media item, wherein said rich media item comprises user perceptible content and content specific information, and wherein said content specific information comprises at least one of the following two items of information: (i) a rich media caption; and (ii) a context menu item comprising one or more of the following: (a) a display string, (b) a resource identifier and (c) a command; and providing computer code to allow communication between the rich media item and the messaging program so that the messaging program and said rich media item can inter-operate, and so that when said message is communicated to an intended recipient, said message is communicated with said rich media item to said intended recipient so as to enable perception of said content and access to said rich media item by said intended recipient so that said intended recipient can interact with said rich media item and utilize said content specific information, wherein said computer code controls said messaging program and utilizes said content specific information to display a context menu, said computer code controls said messaging program so that said messaging program displays different context menu items in said context menu depending on the location of said rich media item within said messaging program, and wherein said rich media item can be displayed in a rich media toolbar and when said rich media item is displayed in said toolbar said context menu comprises a first set of context menu items, and wherein said rich media can be displayed in a history window of a messaging program and when said rich media item is displayed in said history window said context menu comprises a second set of context menu items.