Document management system and method

Abstract

A system for managing documents at an electronic data repository includes an electronic data repository that is accessed by a plurality of parties that are remote from a repository and from each other and that have a roll in a transaction. A computer program receives a document from a first remote party and stores the received document in the repository. The computer program permits one or more of the parties access to the document and prohibits all of the parties from modifying and deleting the document from the repository while any second remote party has access to the document.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for managing documents at an electronic data repository, wherein the documents relate to a transaction involving a plurality of parties remote from each other and having different roles in the transaction, the system comprising:
 an electronic data repository comprising computer-readable database hardware and documents in electronic format and that is accessible by the plurality of parties, wherein the plurality of parties are remote from the repository; and   at least one processor and memory from which is executable by the at least one processor a computer program that is configured to, when executed by the at least one processor,
 receive a said document in electronic format from a party of the plurality of parties, 
 store the received document in the repository, and 
 define one or more rights, providable via the computer program to all first parties of the plurality of parties having access to the repository via the computer program, for access via the computer program to the received document, wherein the computer program is configured to permit access by the first parties to the received document only based upon the providable rights and wherein the providable rights include an ability to view the received document but do not include an ability to revise the received document in the repository or to delete the received document from the repository. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system as in  claim 1 , wherein the computer program is configured to
 provide a second party of the plurality of parties access rights only to said documents stored in the repository that are within one or more document sets corresponding to the second party,   responsively to the second party, define types of documents that are needed to complete a first said document set corresponding to the second party, and   notify the second party when all the needed types of documents are stored in the repository in the first document set.   
     
     
         3 . The system as in  claim 1 , wherein the computer program is configured to
 provide a second party of the plurality of parties access rights only to said documents stored in the repository that are within one or more document sets corresponding to the second party,   responsively to the second party, monitor predetermined documents, and   notify the second party when each of the monitored documents is stored in the repository within a said document set corresponding to the second party.   
     
     
         4 . The system as in  claim 1 ,
 wherein at least one of said parties of the plurality of parties comprises a plurality of entities that are not remote from each other,   wherein the computer program is configured to define, responsively to the at least one party, access rights among the entities, and   wherein the computer program is configured to permit, based on the access rights, the entities access to documents that are stored in the repository and to which the computer program permits the at least one party access.   
     
     
         5 . A computerized method for managing documents related to a transaction involving a plurality of parties remote from each other and having different roles in the transaction and controlling access to the documents, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing an electronic data repository comprising computer-readable database hardware and documents in electronic format and that is accessible by the plurality of parties, wherein the plurality of parties are remote from the repository;   receiving a said document in electronic format from a party of the plurality of parties via a computer network;   storing the received document in the repository;   defining one or more rights, providable via a computer program to all first parties of the plurality of parties having access to the repository via the computer network, for access to the received document; and   permitting access by the first parties via the computer network and the computer program to the received document only based upon the providable rights and wherein the providable rights include an ability to view the received document but do not include an ability to revise the received document in the repository or to delete the received document from the repository.   
     
     
         6 . A system for managing documents at an electronic data repository, wherein the documents relate to a transaction involving a plurality of parties remote from each other and having different roles in the transaction, the system comprising:
 an electronic data repository comprising computer-readable database hardware and documents in electronic format and that is accessible by the plurality of parties, wherein the plurality of parties are remote from the repository; and   at least one processor and memory from which is executable by the at least one processor a computer program that is configured to, when executed by the at least one processor,
 receive a said document in electronic format from a first party of the plurality of parties, 
 store the received document in the repository, 
 provide the first party access rights to the received document, 
 provide a second party of the plurality of parties access rights to the received document responsively to the first party, 
 define one or more rights, providable via the computer program to all parties of the plurality of parties having access to the repository via the computer program, for access via the computer program to all said documents that are stored in the repository, wherein the computer program permits access by said all parties to the received document only based upon the providable rights and wherein the providable rights include an ability to view a said document stored in the repository but do not include an ability to revise a said document stored in the repository or to delete a said document from the repository. 
   
     
     
         7 . Within a transaction involving a plurality of parties remote from each other and having different roles in the transaction, a computerized method for managing documents related to the transaction and controlling access to the documents, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing an electronic data repository comprising computer-readable database hardware and documents in electronic format that is accessible by the plurality of parties, wherein the plurality of parties are remote from the repository;   receiving in electronic format via a computer network a first said document from a first party of the plurality of parties;   storing the received first document in the repository;   providing the first party access rights to the first document via a computer program;   providing a second party of the plurality of parties access rights to the first document responsively to the first party via the computer program;   receiving in electronic format a second said document from the second party via the computer network;   storing the received second document in the repository;   providing the second party access rights to the second document via the computer program;   defining one or more rights, providable via the computer program to all parties of the plurality of parties having access to the repository via the computer network, for access to all said documents that are stored in the repository; and   permitting access by said all parties via the computer network and the computer program to the first document and the second document only based upon the providable rights and wherein the providable rights include an ability to view a said document stored in the repository but do not include an ability to revise a said document stored in the repository or to delete a said document from the repository.   
     
     
         8 . Within a transaction involving a plurality of parties remote from each other and having different roles in the transaction, a computerized method for managing documents related to the transaction and controlling access to the documents, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing an electronic data repository comprising computer-readable database hardware and documents in electronic format that is accessible by the plurality of parties, wherein the plurality of parties are remote from the repository;   for each of a plurality of documents that arise sequentially from and during the transaction,
 receiving in electronic format via a computer network the document from a respective first party of the plurality of parties, 
 storing the received document in the repository, 
 providing the first party access rights to the received document via a computer network, 
 providing a respective second party of the plurality of parties access rights to the received document responsively to the first party via the computer program, 
   defining one or more rights, providable via the computer program to all parties of the plurality of parties having access to the repository via the computer network, for access to all said documents that are stored in the repository; and   
       permitting access by said all parties via the computer network and the computer program to the received only based upon the providable rights and wherein the providable rights include an ability to view a said document stored in the repository but do not include an ability to revise a said document stored in the repository or to delete a said document from the repository.