System and method of distributing a file by email

1. A method of distributing a file by email comprising:

receiving a first email in a server, wherein the first email includes a first attachment;

creating a converted attachment from the first attachment;

storing the first attachment on the server;

outputting the first email to an addressee, wherein the first email includes the converted attachment and further wherein the first email is received in a client comprising the addressee;

receiving a forward email message in the server from the addressee, the forward email message containing the converted attachment and a forward addressee;

identifying the first attachment in response to receiving the forward email message, wherein identifying the first attachment comprises using an attachment identifier to identify the first attachment from a plurality of stored attachments, wherein the attachment identifier includes the converted attachment;

upon identifying the first attachment, attaching the first attachment to the forward email message; and

forwarding the forward email message with the first attachment to the forward addressee.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the server is an email server for the addressee.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the attachment identifier includes a representation of the converted attachment.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the attachment identifier includes a representation of the first email.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a plurality of edits in the server to the converted attachment from the addressee.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

applying the plurality of edits to the first attachment to create an edited, first attachment;

attaching the edited, first attachment to the forward email; and

outputting the forward email to the forward addressee.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein identifying the first attachment comprises using an attachment identifier to identify the first attachment from a plurality of stored attachments, wherein the attachment identifier includes the converted attachment with the plurality of edits.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the converted attachment has a smaller file size than the first attachment.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first attachment has a first file format and wherein the converted attachment has a second file format.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein creating a converted attachment from the first attachment includes:

determining a preference of the addressee;

selecting one of a plurality of conversion methods, wherein the selected conversion method converts the first attachment according to the addressee's preference; and

applying the selected conversion method to the first attachment.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein outputting the email to the addressee includes:

replacing the first attachment with the converted attachment.

12. A method of distributing a file by email comprising:

receiving a first email in a server, wherein the first email includes a first attachment;

creating a converted attachment from the first attachment;

storing the first attachment on the server;

outputting the first email to an addressee, wherein the first email includes the converted attachment;

receiving a plurality of edits in the server to the converted attachment from the addressee;

determining the first attachment that corresponds to the converted attachment upon receiving the plurality of edits; and

applying the plurality of edits to the first attachment to create an edited, first attachment;

forwarding the first email to a forward addressee, wherein the first email includes the converted attachment with the plurality of edits and further wherein forwarding the first email comprises:

outputting the first email to the server;

attaching the edited, first attachment to the forward email; and

outputting the forward email to the forward addressee.

13. A method for processing email attachments comprising:

receiving a first email message in a server, wherein the first email message includes a first attachment in a first attachment format;

creating a converted attachment in a second attachment format from the first attachment, the second attachment format interpretable by a client device;

storing the first attachment on the server;

associating an attachment identifier with the first attachment, the attachment identifier usable to uniquely identify the first attachment;

transmitting the first email message including the attachment identifier and the converted attachment in the second attachment format to a client;

receiving a second email message in the server from the client addressed to one or more email recipients, the second email message including the attachment identifier identifying the first attachment;

identifying the first attachment with the attachment identifier;

attaching the first attachment in the first attachment format to the second email message; and

transmitting the second email message to the one or more email recipients with the first attachment in the first attachment format.

14. The method as in claim 13 wherein the attachment identifier comprises a unique email identifier uniquely identifying the first email message.

15. The method as in claim 13 wherein the attachment identifier comprises the converted attachment in the second attachment format.

16. The method as in claim 13 wherein the attachment identifier comprises a file name uniquely identifying the first attachment on the server.