Patent ID: 7853507

Claim:
A computerized Centralized Securities Depository (CSD)-system comprising: a CSD memory including a register structure of a plurality of financial instruments and financial instrument templates, each of which is defined by attributes, and each attribute has an associated one of plural inheritance characteristics, a CSD computer coupled to the CSD memory that configures the financial instruments and financial instrument templates in a hierarchical, multi-level structure based on the attributes and their associated inheritance characteristics such that a financial instrument or a financial instrument template on one level in a hierarchy is defined by selectively inheriting, dependent upon the associated inheritance characteristics of the attributes, the attributes of a financial instrument template on a next higher level in the hierarchy, wherein the CSD computer is arranged to link each financial instrument to a financial instrument template on the next higher level in the hierarchy, and wherein a highest level in the hierarchy includes financial instrument templates that cannot be traded within the CSD-system and financial instrument templates on lower levels in the hierarchy are also financial instruments which can be traded within the CSD-system.