Patent ID: 8428227

Claim:
A method of acquiring, recording and then authenticating a voice communication between a first and a second communicating party by a service provider in a telecommunications system in which the recording services are provided to the communicating parties comprising: acquiring and recording said voice communication between said first and second communicating parties; said first communicating party requesting and said second communicating party acknowledging the recording as a first adjunct to the recording; authenticating the identity of said first party with a hierarchical authentication process as a second adjunct to the recording by assessing identity factors including said first party's communications device, communications channel, and pre-communication profile, and higher levels of authentication being based upon categorical classification of the communication; authenticating the identity of said second party with said hierarchical authentication process using less identity factors than used for said first party as a third adjunct to the recording; distributing, after receiving a release acknowledgment from at least one party, an authenticated copy of said recorded communication with the adjunct acknowledgment and authenticated party identities.