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Abstract

A method and computer program product instituting an entirely client-based system for sharing messages and other data objects is provided. Communication between clients occurs over a generic store and forward transport such as the Internet message protocol described in RFC 822 and implemented on the Internet or other wide area network. A message or other data object is originally maintained by a 'publication' client that publishes the data object and any modifications thereto to one or more 'subscription' clients that will each maintain a copy thereof. As modifications are made by a client (either publication or subscription) to the client copy of the data object, the modified data object is sent, using the store and forward transport, to the publication client to update the data object. Once the data object is updated by the publication client, copies of the modified data object are sent using the store and forward transport to each subscription client so that the subscription client may update the subscription copy. One embodiment of the present invention designates a messaging folder containing one or more data objects as a publication folder (managed by a publication client) that is replicated out to subscription clients over the store and forward transport. The subscription clients each have a corresponding subscription folder wherein the subscription client copies of the data objects are maintained. Any modifications to the data objects are passed to the publication client for verification, replacement in the publication folder, and distribution out to each subscription client for replacement in the corresponding subscription folder. The addition of new data objects or the deletion of existing data objects are handled in like manner through the publication client.

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First Claim