Patent ID: 7213036

Claim:
A process for integrating source node information and usage information into a media asset, comprising the steps of: providing a media asset at a first source node of a plurality of nodes; sequentially transferring the media asset from the first source node to at least one recipient node of the plurality of nodes, each of the recipient nodes having a respective user associated therewith; cumulatively integrating source node information within the media asset at the source node and at each of the recipient nodes that act as subsequent source nodes to transfer the media asset to a subsequent recipient node, the source node information comprising information regarding each of the respective source nodes; tracking usage associated with the respective users at any of the recipient nodes where usage occurs, wherein the usage comprises any of a processing of the media asset, a modification of the media asset, and an addition of information to the media asset; and cumulatively integrating information associated with the tracked usage within the media asset at any of the source nodes where usage occurs.