Patent ID: 7571486

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for enforcing a receiver use restriction of a file received over a network on a receiving device, the method comprising: receiving, from a sender via a network, a file, wherein the file includes a sender encoded password and a receiver use restriction to enforce on the file upon receipt of the file on the receiving device, wherein the receiver use restriction limits a use of the file on the receiving device, wherein the use limitation is at least one member of a group comprising: an access time limitation that provides a time period permitted to access the file, an access number limitation that provides a number of permitted accesses to the file, a storage limitation that provides restrictions for storing the file, and a forwarding limitation that provides restrictions for forwarding the file; receiving a selection to open the file on the receiving device; in response to receiving the selection to open the file, generating a password prompt for receiving a password; when a received password matches the encoded password of the file, enforcing the receiver use restriction of the file to limit the use of the file on the receiving device; and when a received password does not match the encoded password of the file, instantiating a file destruction operation to destroy the file on the receiving device.