System and method for enabling records management

• US 20070094311A1
• Filed: 10/21/2005
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: X Corp. (f/k/a Twitter, Inc.) (X Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Pelletier, Michael, Polimeni, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 7,720,825 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product for managing a retention period for electronic content data are disclosed. The method includes running a records manager system. The records manager system defines a retention period for a plurality of electronic content data. The records manager system instructs a digital rights manager system to protect each of the plurality of electronic content data. Each of the plurality of electronic content data are protected with at least one usage policy for at least one of the plurality of electronic content data related to the retention period as governed by the records manager system. The defined retention period is logged, for later auditing, for each of the plurality of the electronic content data.

Claims

1. A method for managing a retention period for electronic content data, the method on a server comprising:

running a records manager system, the records manager system defining a retention period for a plurality of electronic content data; and

instructing, by the records manager system, a digital rights manager system to protect each of the plurality of electronic content data with at least one usage policy for at least one of the plurality of electronic content data related to the retention period as governed by the records manager system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

logging, for later auditing, the defined retention period for each of the plurality of the electronic content data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital rights manager system queries the records manager system to receive one of:

an initial retention policy; and

an updated retention policy.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein an author creating the plurality of electronic content data is separate and distinct from an administrator setting the defined retention period in the records management system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the defined retention period is governed by one of:

corporate policy;

state law; and

federal law.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, by the records manager system, the plurality of electronic content data to be protected by the digital rights management system in a content manager system.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the records manager system, if the retention period has expired for at least one of the plurality of electronic content data; and

instructing, by the records management system, the digital rights management system to update the at least one usage policy for at least one of the electronic content data in the plurality of electronic content data to restrict access to the at least one of the electronic content data in response to the retention period defined for the at least one of the electronic content data expiring.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

logging, by the records manager system, that access, by a user of the content manager system, has been restricted to each of the electronic content data having a retention period that has expired.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

instructing, by the records management system, the digital rights management system to update the usage policy for at least one of the plurality of electronic content data at least once after an interval of time has passed within the retention period for the at least one of the plurality of electronic content data.

10. A system for managing a retention period for electronic content data, the system comprising:

a content manager system for managing a plurality of electronic content data;

a digital rights management system for associating usage polices with the plurality of electronic content data; and

a records manager system communicatively coupled to the content manager system and the digital rights management system, the records manager system for defining a retention period for the plurality of electronic content data and for instructing the digital rights manager system to protect each of the plurality of electronic content data with at least one usage related to the retention period as governed by the records manager system.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the records manager system further comprises a means for logging, for later auditing, the defined retention period for each of the plurality of the electronic content data.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the digital rights manager system queries the records manager system to receive one of:

an initial retention policy; and

an updated retention policy.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the defined retention period is governed by one of:

corporate policy;

state law; and

federal law.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the records manager system is further for determining if the retention period has expired for at least one of the plurality of electronic content data, and wherein the records manager system instructs the digital rights management system to update the at least one usage policy for at least one of the electronic content data in the plurality of electronic content data to restrict access to the at least one of the electronic content data in response to the retention period defined for the at least one of the electronic content data expiring.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the records manager further instructs, the digital rights management system to update the usage policy for at least one of the plurality of electronic content data at least once after an interval of time has passed within the retention period for the at least one of the plurality of electronic content data.

16. A computer program product for managing a retention period for electronic content data, the computer program product on a server comprising instructions for:

running a records manager system, the records manager system defining a retention period for a plurality of electronic content data; and

instructing, by the records manager system, a digital rights manager system to protect each of the plurality of electronic content data with at least one usage policy for at least one of the plurality of electronic content data related to the retention period as governed by the records manager system.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising instructions for:

storing, by the records manager system, the plurality of electronic content data to be protected by the digital rights management system in a content manager system.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising instructions for:

determining, by the records manager system, if the retention period has expired for at least one of the plurality of electronic content data; and

instructing, by the records management system, the digital rights management system to update the at least one usage policy for at least one of the electronic content data in the plurality of electronic content data to restrict access to the at least one of the electronic content data in response to the retention period defined for the at least one of the electronic content data expiring.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising instructions for:

logging, by the records manager system, that access, by a user of the content manager system, has been restricted to each of the electronic content data having a retention period that has expired.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising instructions for:

instructing, by the records management system, the digital rights management system to update the usage policy for at least one of the plurality of electronic content data at least once after an interval of time has passed within the retention period for the at least one of the plurality of electronic content data.