Patent ID: 7496756
Filing Date: 2009-02-24
Classification: G06F,G06Q

Abstract:
1. A content usage-right management system comprising: a user device that utilizes content; and a service provider that distributes to said user device a content usage-right certificate in which content-usage condition information is stored, wherein: said user device is configured to utilize the content according to the content-usage condition information stored in the content usage-right certificate received from said service provider and to make a request to change the content-usage condition information stored in the content usage-right certificate by sending the content usage-right certificate to said service provider, wherein said service provider is configured to generate, upon receiving the content usage-right certificate involving the request to change the content-usage condition information from said user device, an upgraded content usage-right certificate by changing the content-usage condition information recorded in the received content usage-right certificate and to send the upgraded content usage-right certificate to said user device, the content-usage condition information stored in the content usage-right certificate include usage condition information in which one of on-line usage that requires a determination of usage rights in said service provider and off-line usage that does not require a determination of usage rights in said service provider is set, and said service provider is configured to generate, upon receiving the content usage-right certificate involving the request to change the content-usage condition information from said user device, an upgraded content usage-right certificate by changing the usage-condition information between on-line usage and off-line usage for changing the content-usage condition information recorded in the received content usage-right certificate and to send the upgraded content usage-right certificate to said user device.