Patent ID: 7689578

Claim:
A method for managing annotations for multiple versions of documents, the method comprising: selecting one or more annotation versioning policies dictating how annotations made for a current version of a document are carried forward by operation of one or more computer processors to a subsequent version of the document, wherein the subsequent version of the document includes one or more revisions to contents of the current version of the document, and wherein carrying the annotations forward comprises: storing, for the subsequent version of the document, an annotation record comprising: (i) an annotation of the annotations made for the current version of the document; (ii) an index that identifies positions of the annotations in the subsequent version of the document; (iii) a change detection value for detecting revisions to: (A) the subsequent version of the document or (B) an annotated portion of the subsequent version of the document, corresponding to the annotation; and (iv) a versioning policy attribute referencing one of the selected annotation versioning policies dictating how annotations made for the current version of the document are carried forward to one or more subsequent versions of the document; and allowing creators of annotations for the current version of the document to select one or more of the annotation versioning policies to dictate how the annotations made for a current version of a document are carried forward to one or more subsequent versions of the document; determining, by operation of one or more computer processors, whether the annotations in the current version of the document are to be carried forward to the subsequent version of the document; and upon determining that the annotations are to be carried forward, carrying the annotations forward to the subsequent version of the document.