EDGAR Online, Inc. (Nasdaq: EDGR) a leading global provider of XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language) solutions was awarded U.S. Patent 7,877,678 entitled "A System and Method for Rendering Financial Data" on January 25,[sup.]2011. The patent covers a method for populating spreadsheets with financial data by leveraging XBRL metadata. The technology cited in the patent facilitates the rendering of machine-readable XBRL documents into spreadsheets for review and analysis. 

The patent recognizes and protects EDGAR Online's method of rendering XBRL data used across the company's portfolio of products. The method is central to I-Metrix Professional, a suite of interactive data and analytical tools offered by EDGAR Online that provides quick and accurate financial statement data via Microsoft Excel. Investment professionals and others in the financial industry use I-Metrix Professional for the analysis of documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). 

The Company's proprietary method protected by the patent is also integral to the company's I-Metrix Xcelerate offering and its XBRL filings business. I-Metrix Xcelerate facilities the interaction with external reporting managers by rendering XBRL documents into spreadsheets that can easily be reviewed. Working with several strategic partners, EDGAR Online is one of the leading preparers of XBRL documents submitted to the SEC, having created more than 1,200 filings for more than 350 companies. 

"We are excited about the issuance of this patent," stated Stefan Chopin, Chief Technology Officer of EDGAR Online and lead inventor of the patent. "We believe that this patent solidifies EDGAR Online's position as a leader in developing products that leverage XBRL to bring benefits to filers and analysts." 

This patent extends EDGAR Online's patent portfolio that also includes the XBRL patent, U.S. Patent 6,947,947, issued in 2005 to UBmatrix, Inc. entitled "Method for Adding Metadata to Data" and several other pending applications.