Patent ID: 8671339

Claim:
A method for sharing assets in a hierarchy of objects, comprising: at a computer operating in a network environment, specifying an asset of a parent object, the parent object comprising an asset sharing functionality for sharing assets of the parent object with only direct descendants of the parent object; at the computer, setting an asset sharing mode of the asset sharing functionality of the parent object for sharing the asset of the parent object with a child object, the child object being one of the direct descendants of the parent object; wherein the child object is configured to share assets of the child object with a direct descendant of the child object, the direct descendant of the child object being an indirect descendant of the parent object, and wherein the parent object is configured not to share any asset of the parent object with the indirect descendant; sharing the asset of the parent object with the child object; allowing, by the parent object operating in the asset sharing mode, the child object to utilize the asset of the parent object without modification, wherein control of the asset of the parent object is retained by the parent object; and when the child object attempts to modify the asset, the parent object operating in the asset sharing mode performs the following: generating a copy of the asset for the child object; wherein the child object is able to modify the copy of the asset; and specifying that the asset of the parent object is no longer shared with the child object.