Patent ID: 7363320

Claim:
A method, comprising: receiving, by an entity correlator from a DataSupplier, at least one pair of a record ID and an identifying ID, both being associated with a third-party entity, the record ID including a Supplier ID to identify the DataSupplier, and a RecNum, the RecNum being an identification number assigned by the DataSupplier to the third-party entity to identify the third-party entity and parties other than the DataSupplier cannot identify the entity based solely on the RecNum, and the at least one pair being transmitted in conjunction with a data tuple including the record ID and a record, the record including information about the third-party entity but lacking identifying information to identify the third-party entity; storing said at least one pair in a memory; utilizing the identifying ID to identify the third-party entity associated with the RecNum contained in the record ID; correlating a plurality of RecNums received from a plurality of DataSuppliers to the third-party entity; receiving a record ID list from a DataUser at said entity correlator; said record ID list including at least one selected record ID; generating an entity list, by said entity correlator, said entity list correlating said third-party entity in the entity list with one of said record IDs included in said record ID list; and sending said entity list from said entity correlator to said DataUser.