Distribution mechanism for reuse of web based image data

1. Technical Field A method for reuse of image data in a distributed computer network is operative at a web server in response to a request from a client browser for a web page. At the web server, a determination is made regarding whether the web page includes a given object reference. If so, a template defining a composite image is retrieved. The template identifies at least one image object to be retrieved from another location, typically from a host remote to the web server. Once the image object is retrieved, a given transform is applied to the image object to generate a transformed image object. The given transform, for example, is selected from a group of transforms such as: scaling, mirroring, cutting, cropping, inverting, flipping, reversing, rotating, color shifting, and combinations of the above. Thereafter, the transformed image object is mapped into the composite image according to the template. After the composite image is created, it is served within the web page originally requested by the client.