Messaging service in a peer to peer type telecommunications network

A method of obtaining a message stored in a peer to peer network, the method comprising:

• receiving with a peer of an addressee of a message a notice of reception of the message from at least one superpeer of a peer of a depositor of the message, said notice of reception indicating at least one depository peer that has stored at least a portion of the message;
• obtaining with the peer of the addressee at least a portion of the message from the at least one depository peer;
• and
• delivering the message to the addressee with the peer of the addressee;
• wherein said notice of reception includes a list of a plurality of depository peers, each depository peer of the list having stored at least a portion of the message and the notice of reception further includes respective identifiers of portions of the message stored in the plurality of depository peers;
• and
• wherein obtaining the message comprises obtaining the message in its entirety or in portions of the message from the plurality of depository peers.

A messaging system for use in a peer to peer network, the system comprising:

• at least one depository peer configured to store at least a portion of a message intended for an addressee;
• at least one superpeer of a peer of a depositor of said message;
• and
• a peer of an addressee of the message;
• the at least one depository peer being further configured to send at least one notice of storage of at least a portion of the message to the at least one superpeer and the at least one superpeer being configured to send a notice of reception of the message to the peer of the addressee, said notice of reception indicating the at least one depository peer that has stored the at least one portion of the message,
• provide to the peer of the addressee of the message at least the portion of the message;
• and
• store at least a portion of the message and configured to send a notice of storage of the stored portions of the message to the at least one superpeer, the notice of reception of the message further including a list of depository peers that have stored at least a portion of the message and respective identifiers of the respective portions of the message stored by the depository peers of the list;
• wherein the message is provided in its entirety or in portions of the message from the depository peers of the list.

A non-transitory information medium encoded with a computer program executed by an electronic data processing system that causes a stored message to be obtained in a peer to peer network, the computer program comprising:

• program code for receiving with a peer of an addressee of a message a notice of reception of the message from at least one superpeer of a peer of a depositor of the message, said notice of reception indicating at least one depository peer that has stored at least a portion of the message;
• program code for obtaining with the peer of the addressee at least a portion of the message from the at least one depository peer;
• and
• program code for delivering the message to the addressee with the peer of the addressee the message;
• wherein said notice of reception includes a list of a plurality of depository peers, each depository peer of the list having stored at least a portion of the message and the notice of reception further includes respective identifiers of portions of the message stored in the plurality of depository peers;
• and
• wherein obtaining the message comprises obtaining the message in its entirety or in portions of the message from the plurality of depository peers.

A superpeer for use in a peer to peer network, the superpeer being configured to:

• receive at least one notification of storage of at least one portion of a message from a depository peer of the peer to peer network;
• send a notice of reception of the message to a peer of an addressee of that message, said notice of reception indicating the depository peer that has stored at least a portion of the message;
• obtain with the peer of the addressee at least the portion of the message from the depository peer;
• and
• receive a plurality of notifications, each notification being a notification of the storage of at least the portion of the message and to insert into the notice of reception a list of depository peers that have stored at least the portion of the message and respective identifiers of the respective portions of the message stored by the depository peers of the list;
• wherein the message is obtained in its entirety or in portions of the message from the plurality of depository peers.