Patent ID: 6839704

Claim:
A method of providing secure access to data objects, said method comprising the steps of: providing data objects to a central database, wherein the data objects are owned by one or more distinct entities, said step of providing data objects further comprising the step of: indexing data objects in accordance with attributes, wherein the attributes include (A) type of data objects, (B) originator of the data objects, (C) owner of the data objects, and (D) one or more of: plaintiff lawyer ID, defense lawyer ID, defense lawyer's name, plaintiff lawyer's name, and state code; and providing information concerning one or more of the data objects to a user in response to a query made by the user, said step of providing information further comprising the steps of: receiving the query over a computer network; using the query to identify attributes for data objects sought by the user; identifying the information based on the identification; and transmitting the document back to the user over the computer network if the user is permitted access to the information.