Abstract: A database including a set of objects, each object being associated with a set of attributes; and a database including a set of objects, each object being associated with a set of attributes, each attribute being associated with a set of business rules for use or modification thereof. The database includes temporal data specifying life spans associated with one or more of those attributes, associated with one or more of those attributes, associated with one or more of those business rules, and/or associated with one or more rights to use or modify that database. Access to the attributes, application of those business rules, and/or whether the database provides access to use or modify data is responsive to at least some of those life spans including life spans for containing objects, for other versions of the attributes, business rules or rights with different life spans, or for some combination thereof.