System and method for rules-based control of custody of electronic signature transactions

An Electronic Service System (ESS) computing device comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• memory coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the ESS computing device to perform operations comprising:
• accessing an electronic document uploaded to the ESS computing device by a first client computing device of a first user;
• accessing a set of custody rules associated with the electronic document, the set of custody rules controlling access to the document by a plurality of users including the first user and a second user of a second client computing device, the set of custody rules including a custody rule transferring an access right from the first user to a second user of the plurality of users based on occurrence of at least one event;
• processing a transaction associated with the electronic document and involving a third client computing device of a third user of the plurality of users;
• detecting, based at least in part on evaluation of operations performed by the third client computing device in reference to the transaction, an occurrence of the at least one event;
• and
• in response to the occurrence of the at least one event, transferring custody of the electronic document from the first user to the second user in accordance with the access right, and denying the first user access, via the first client computing device, to the electronic document governed by the access right while granting the second user access, via the second client computing device, to the electronic document governed by the access right.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed on an Electronic Service System (ESS) computing device, cause the ESS computing device to perform operations including:

• accessing an electronic document uploaded to the ESS computing device by a first client computing device of a first user;
• accessing a set of custody rules associated with the electronic document, the set of custody rules controlling access to the document by a plurality of users including the first user, the set of custody rules including a first custody rule transferring an access right from the first user to a second user of the plurality of users based on occurrence of at least one event;
• processing a transaction associated with the electronic document and involving a third client computing device of a third user of the plurality of users;
• detecting, based at least in part on evaluation of operations performed by the third client computing device in reference to the transaction, an occurrence of the at least one event;
• and
• in response to the occurrence of the at least one event, transferring custody of the electronic document from the first user to the second user in accordance with the access right, and denying the first user access, via the first client computing device, to the electronic document governed by the access right while granting the second user access, via the second client computing device, to the electronic document governed by the access right.

A computer-implemented method comprising:

• processing, by a server, a transaction associated with an electronic document and involving a third client computing device of a third user of a plurality of users, a first user and a second user of the plurality of users having respective access rights via first and second client computing devices to the electronic document, the first user and the second user belonging to a same organization, wherein client computing devices of the plurality of users operate independently of the server;
• detecting, by the server, an occurrence of at least one event based at least in part on an operation performed by the third client computing device;
• and
• in response to detecting the occurrence of the at least one event, transferring, by the server, custody of the electronic document from the first user to the second user, wherein transferring custody comprises modifying the respective access rights of the first user and second user.

A server comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the server to perform operations comprising:
• processing a transaction associated with an electronic document and involving a third client computing device of a third user of a plurality of users, a first user and a second user of the plurality of users having respective access rights via first and second client computing devices to the electronic document, the first user and the second user belonging to a same organization, wherein client computing devices of the plurality of users operate independently of the server;
• detecting an occurrence of at least one event based at least in part on an operation performed by the third client computing device;
• and
• in response to detecting the occurrence of the at least one event, transferring custody of the electronic document from the first user to the second user, wherein transferring custody comprises modifying the respective access rights of the first user and second user.