System and method for storing and retrieving digital content with physical file systems

1. A method implemented by a server for retrieving and storing digital documents over a network, the method comprising:

receiving over the network digital documents associated with a physical file folder, the digital documents originally being created using a document composition program;

assigning a document identification code to each of the digital documents;

receiving over the network an identifier associated with the physical file folder;

accessing the digital documents associated with the physical file folder using the received identifier;

presenting a list of the digital documents to a first user;

enabling the user to access and edit at least one digital document of the presented list; and

saving the at least one accessed and edited digital document;

wherein the document composition program enables the user to edit the at least one digital document of the presented list and includes a plug-in for transmitting the edited at least one digital document from a user terminal to the server; and

wherein the identifier comprises information identifying the subject matter of the digital documents associated with the physical file folder and information identifying the location of the digital documents in a database.

2. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the identifier is a symbology or alpha-numeric string located on the physical file folder.

3. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the step of receiving the identifier includes wirelessly receiving, at a local computer, the identifier from a tag located on the physical file folder and transmitting the identifier to the server.

4. The method as in claim 3 , wherein the tag is a radio frequency identification tag.

5. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the physical file folder is a placard including the identifier in printed form.

6. The method as in claim 1 , further comprising:

enabling the first user to preview at least one accessed digital document; and

enabling the first user to review, edit, email, publish, or print the at least one accessed digital document through a user terminal.

7. The method as in claim 6 , wherein the at least one accessed digital document is locked out from being accessed by a second sequent user while being accessed by the first user.

8. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the presenting step further comprises indicating to the first user which of the digital documents are in use by other users.

9. The method as in claim 1 , further comprising creating a watermark on each digital document, each watermark representing the respective document identification code.

10. The method as in claim 1 , further comprising creating a single symbology containing the identifier and the document identification code.

11. The method as in claim 1 , further comprising:

enabling the first user to preview at least one accessed digital document; and

enabling the first user to email the at least one accessed digital document through a user terminal to a second user.

12. A system for retrieving and storing digital documents over a network comprising:

a user terminal configured for transmitting an identifier from a physical file folder associated with digital documents;

a server configured for receiving the identifier, retrieving the digital documents associated with the physical file folder from a database and transmitting to the user terminal a list of the digital documents;

a communications network for coupling the user terminal and the server;

the user terminal configured for enabling a user to access and edit at least one digital document of the list and saving the at least one accessed and edited digital document to the server, wherein the server assigns a document identification code to the at least one accessed and edited digital document;

the user terminal includes a software application for editing the at least one digital document, wherein the software application includes a plug-in for transmitting the edited at least one digital document to the server; and

wherein the identifier comprises information identifying the subject matter of the digital documents associated with the physical file folder and information identifying the location of the digital documents in the database.

13. The system as in claim 12 , wherein the user terminal includes a scanning device for reading the identifier from the physical file folder.

14. The system as in claim 12 , wherein the user terminal includes a reader for wirelessly receiving the identifier from an electronic tag located on the physical file folder.

15. The system as in claim 14 , wherein the electronic tag is a radio frequency identification tag.

16. The system as in claim 12 , wherein the identifier is a symbology or alpha-numeric string located on the physical file folder.

17. The system as in claim 12 , wherein the physical file folder is a placard including the identifier in printed form.

18. The system as in claim 12 , wherein the physical file folder includes an electronic paper display for presenting the list of digital documents to a user.

19. The system as in claim 12 , wherein the user terminal further comprises a portable reader device for enabling a user to view accessed digital documents, wherein the terminal transmits an address for the portable reader device to the server with the identifier and the server transmits the list of digital documents to the portable reader device.

20. The system as in claim 19 , wherein the portable reader device includes a reader for reading the identifier associated with the physical file folder.

21. The system as in claim 20 , wherein the reader for reading the identifier includes a barcode scanner, an imaging device or an electronic tag reader.

22. The system as in claim 12 , further comprising a physical file cabinet configured to store the physical file folder when not in use.

23. The system as in claim 12 , wherein the digital documents are new digital documents or revised digital documents.

24. A computer-implemented method of storing digital content associated with a physical file folder, the computer-implemented method comprising:

creating digital content using a document composition program executing on a user terminal;

uploading the digital content to a server for storage in a database;

entering an identification code associated with a physical file folder;

assigning the digital content to the physical file folder;

enabling a user to access and edit the digital content;

saving the accessed and edited digital content; and

wherein the document composition program enables the user to edit the digital content and includes a plug-in for transmitting the edited digital content from a user terminal to the server; and

wherein the identification code comprises information identifying the location of the digital content in the database.

25. The computer-implemented method as in claim 24 , further comprising printing the digital content and disposing the printed digital content in the physical file folder.

26. The computer-implemented method as in claim 24 , wherein the document composition program includes a single function for transmitting the created digital content to the server and printing the created digital content.

27. The computer-implemented method as in claim 24 , further comprising entering a user identifier for identifying a user to gain access to the digital content.

28. The computer-implemented method as in claim 27 , wherein the user identifier indicates to other users the user who is accessing the digital content.