Patent ID: 7117528

Claim:
A method of registering users in an authentication system, said authentication system including an authentication server and an authentication database associated therewith, said authentication server being coupled to a data communication network and authenticating registered users when login information from the registered users retrieved via the data communication network matches authentication credentials maintained in the authentication database, said credentials including login identifiers corresponding to user accounts of the registered users, said user accounts each being identified by a unique account identifier assigned thereto, said method comprising: receiving a request to create a new user account in connection with a requested login identifier, said request to create the new user account being received at the authentication server from a new user via a client computer also coupled to the data communication network; notifying the new user of a contested registration when the requested login identifier matches one of the login identifiers maintained in the authentication database; creating the new user account in connection with the requested login identifier for the new user and rendering inactive the user account corresponding to the matching login identifier to resolve the contested registration; and retaining the unique account identifier and associated account information for the inactive user account.