SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ALLOWING ACCESS TO CONTENT

• US 20100169439A1
• Filed: 12/31/2008
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Stern, Edith Helen, Willner, Barry E., O'Sullivan, Patrick Joseph, Weir, Robert Cameron
• Granted Patent: US 8,589,502 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2141 Access rights, e.g. capability lists, access control lists, access tables, access matrices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2145 Inheriting rights or properties, e.g., propagation of permissions or restrictions within a hierarchy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

A method, computer program product, and computing system for receiving an indication of an email being generated by a composer for at least one recipient. The email includes a link to a piece of content on a remote resource and the at least one recipient does not have sufficient rights to access the remote resource. The recipient may be allowed to access the remote resource via the link using the rights of the composer.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an indication of an email being generated by a composer for at least one recipient, wherein the email includes a link to a piece of content on a remote resource and the at least one recipient does not have sufficient rights to access the remote resource; and

allowing the recipient to access the remote resource via the link using the rights of the composer.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

associating the link with the rights of the composer.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein associating the link with the rights of the composer includes:

associating the link with the rights of the composer for a finite period of time.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein associating the link with the rights of the composer includes:

modifying the link to define the rights of the composer.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

if the at least one recipient includes a recipient having sufficient rights to access the remote resource, transmitting the email to the recipient having sufficient rights to access the remote resource without associating the link with the rights of the composer.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the at least one recipient includes a first recipient who has sufficient rights to access the remote resource, and a second recipient who does not have sufficient rights to access the remote resource;

the method further comprising;

allowing transmission of the email to the first recipient without associating the link with the rights of the composer; and

allowing transmission of the email to the second recipient after associating the link with the rights of the composer.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing a warning to the composer of the email if the at least one recipient includes a recipient not having sufficient rights to access the remote resource.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote resource is chosen from the group consisting of a server computer, a collaborative workspace, a database, and a website.

9. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving an indication of an email being generated by a composer for at least one recipient, wherein the email includes a link to a piece of content on a remote resource and the at least one recipient does not have sufficient rights to access the remote resource; and

allowing the recipient to access the remote resource via the link using the rights of the composer.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising instructions for:

associating the link with the rights of the composer.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the instructions for associating the link with the rights of the composer include instructions for:

associating the link with the rights of the composer for a finite period of time.

12. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the instructions for associating the link with the rights of the composer include instructions for:

modifying the link to define the rights of the composer.

13. The computer program product of claim 10 further comprising instructions for:

if the at least one recipient includes a recipient having sufficient rights to access the remote resource, transmitting the email to the recipient having sufficient rights to access the remote resource without associating the link with the rights of the composer.

14. The computer program product of claim 10 wherein the at least one recipient includes a first recipient who has sufficient rights to access the remote resource, and a second recipient who does not have sufficient rights to access the remote resource;

the method further comprising instructions for;

allowing transmission of the email to the first recipient without associating the link with the rights of the composer; and

allowing transmission of the email to the second recipient after associating the link with the rights of the composer.

15. The computer program product of claim 9 further comprising instructions for:

providing a warning to the composer of the email if the at least one recipient includes a recipient not having sufficient rights to access the remote resource.

16. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the remote resource is chosen from the group consisting of a server computer, a collaborative workspace, a database, and a website.

17. A computing system comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one memory architecture coupled with the at least one processor;

a first software module executed on the at least one processor and the at least one memory architecture, wherein the first software module is configured to receive an indication of an email being generated by a composer for at least one recipient, wherein the email includes a link to a piece of content on a remote resource and the at least one recipient does not have sufficient rights to access the remote resource; and

a second software module executed on the at least one processor and the at least one memory architecture, wherein the second software module is configured to allow the recipient to access the remote resource via the link using the rights of the composer.

18. The computing system of claim 17 further comprising:

a third software module executed on the at least one processor and the at least one memory architecture, wherein the third software module is configured to associate the link with the rights of the composer.

19. The computing system of claim 18 wherein associating the link with the rights of the composer includes:

associating the link with the rights of the composer for a finite period of time.

20. The computing system of claim 18 wherein associating the link with the rights of the composer includes:

modifying the link to define the rights of the composer.