Patent ID: 8010680

Claim:
A method of transferring one or more files comprising: connecting a second client to a communications system host; receiving a request to transfer one or more files that are stored on the second client to a first client connected to the communications system host, the request being initiated by a first user of the first client and identifying a second user of the second client; in response to the request, accessing a list of users specified by the second user to distinguish those listed users from other users for purposes of restricting access to files hosted by the second user; determining whether the accessed list indicates that access to files by the first user is restricted; conditioned on the accessed list indicating that access to files by the first user is restricted, enabling the second user to perceive the request from the first user; enabling the second user to accept the request; and in response to the second user accepting the request: establishing a direct socket connection between the first client and the second client bypassing the communications system host, and initiating a transfer of the one or more files from the second client to the first client over the direct socket connection.