Method and device for controlling access to a shared document in station-to-station communication network

A method of accessing a digital document in a peer-to-peer communication network, in which peers are capable of exchanging data, said method being implemented in a first peer of the communication network and comprising the following steps:

• i) receiving, from a second peer of the communication network, at least one digital document and a collection comprising at least one document identifier designating the at least one digital document and at least one user identifier designating a user having a right to access any document identified in this collection,
• wherein the at least one digital document represents data items which can be shared with another peer via a peer-to-peer communication, and
• wherein the collection represents meta-data which controls access to the at least one digital document for sharing with another peer;
• i1) verifying at least one condition agreeing to supply from the first peer any document identified in the collection to any user identified in the collection;
• ii) storing locally the at least one digital document and the collection, received from the second peer, in response to a positive outcome of the step, of verifying the at least one condition;
• iii) receiving a request coming from another peer on behalf of a specific user for accessing at least one digital document, the request comprising an identifier designating the document and an identifier designating the specific user;
• iv) searching locally for at least one locally-stored collection containing the identifier of the document and the identifier of the specific user as a user having a right to access any document identified in the at least one locally-stored collection;
• v) in the case of a positive search, supplying the document to the peer;
• and
• vi) in the case of a negative search, supplying the document to the peer if at least a further condition is verified.