Patent ID: 7127745

Claim:
For use in a virtual network computing session wherein plural remotely located users connected together in a global information network share a software application in a server of a desktop computer, a method for controlling access of users to the software application, said method comprising the steps of: assigning an identifying address for each of the users authorized for access to the software application; storing in a file the identifying addresses of the users authorized for access to the software application; receiving a request from one or more viewers for access to the software application, wherein each request includes an address identifying the requesting viewer; comparing the address identifying the requesting viewer with said identifying addresses stored in said file during the virtual network computing session and providing simultaneous access to the software application for each of said viewers if the address identifying the requesting viewer is stored in said file or denying access if the address identifying the requesting viewer is not stored in said file, wherein access is provided or denied during the virtual network computing session and access to the software application includes WRITE access for permitting said user to exercise control over the software application and READ access for permitting said user only to view the exercise of control over the software application by other users, and wherein only identifying addresses of users authorized for WRITE access to the software application are stored in said file; designating a first user of the virtual network computing session as a session owner and providing said session owner with WRITE access to the software application; and permitting the session owner to assign either WRITE or READ access to the software application to subsequent users of the virtual network computing session.