Patent ID: 8090960
Filing Date: 2012-01-03
Classification: G06F,H04L,H04N

Abstract:
1. An information managing method used for a system for prohibiting electronically treatable content data from being copied, installed, or reproduced without authorization, said content data being encrypted beforehand, and an identification code being assigned to each content data, said method being implemented by a server apparatus storing a decryption key for decrypting said encrypted content data, and an information processing terminal connected to said server apparatus via a communication network for copying, installing, or reproducing said content data, said server apparatus comprising a storage unit for storing, in association with said identification code, a predetermined number of times said decryption key can be sent to said information processing terminal, a predetermined period during which said decryption key can be sent to said information processing terminal, and result data indicating a result of copying, installing, or reproducing said content data by said information processing terminal, said method comprising: an identification code sending step of said information processing terminal receiving from a user an input of an identification code corresponding to said content data to be reproduced and sending said identification code thus received to said server apparatus, in a case where said information processing terminal is to copy, install, or reproduce said content data; an identification code receiving step of said server apparatus receiving said identification code from said information processing terminal; an application information sending step of said server apparatus sending application information on purchase application of content data corresponding to said received identification code to said information processing terminal; an application information receiving step of said information processing terminal receiving said application information from said server apparatus; a consent information sending step of said information processing terminal receiving an input of information from said user regarding whether said user consents to said received application information, and sending consent information indicating said input information to said server apparatus; a consent information receiving step of said server apparatus receiving said consent information; a determining step of said server apparatus determining whether said user consents to said application information based on said received consent information; a decryption key sending step of, upon determination that said user consents to said application information at said determining step, said server apparatus sending said decryption key that corresponds to said content data indicated by said received identification code to said information processing terminal; a decryption key receiving step of said information processing terminal receiving said decryption key from said server apparatus; a decrypting step of said information processing terminal decrypting said encrypted content data by using said received decryption key; a result sending step of said information processing terminal sending said server apparatus a result indicating whether copying, installing, or reproducing of said content data has succeeded; a result receiving step of said server apparatus receiving said result from said information processing terminal; and an updating step of said server apparatus updating said result data stored in said storage unit based on said received result, wherein upon reception of said result indicating that copying, installing, or reproducing of said content data has not succeeded in said result receiving step, said server apparatus resends said decryption key to said information processing terminal in said decryption key sending step, and said information processing terminal again receives said decryption key from said server apparatus in said decryption key receiving step.