Patent Publication Number: US-8995661-B2

Title: Information provision system, provision information copying device, user terminal device and user management device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-178056, filed Jun. 17, 2005, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to an information provision system for providing content information to a terminal device on a user side, a provision information copying device, a user terminal device and a user management device for use in the system. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In recent years, it has become possible to distribute an enormous data quantity of content by using a communication line owing to the progress of a communication technology such as the Internet and a data compression technique depending on digital signal processing. Thereby, a customer has become possible to receive a content distribution service for music, movies games, etc., regardless of time and place. An information provision system for achieving this content distribution service has generally a configuration in that a customer desiring purchasing/viewing (hereinafter referred to as user) accesses to a content distribution center through communication terminal equipment to download desired content from the distribution center or receives a stream distribution. 
     However, in the present situation, even when the user accesses to the distribution center, there are many cases, for popular and topical content, that only an introduction thereof or an advertisement therefor is provided and content for viewing is distributed thorough a mail order of a medium with the content recorded thereon. This is because a copyright owner of the content (or copyright manager, hereinafter both concepts are generally referred to as a copyright owner in some cases) still fears to suffer tremendous damage caused by a copyright infringement such as illegal copying with respect to a distribution to a user terminal device using the communication line. Like this, in the content distribution service, a distribution of important content has been in an extremely inactive situation, because a problem in an illegal distribution becomes a fetter, even if the content distribution service is desired by the user or attractive in business. 
     Thus, recently, a technique to prevent the illegal distribution of content has been presented, in which information storage medium and a user terminal device implement copyright protection on the basis of license information given from each license agency. This technique has been publicly known commonly as content protection for recordable media (CPRM) and Advanced access content system (AACS). 
     An information provision system for the content distribution service in order to achieve perfect copyright protection is disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2004-35150. This system utilizes the aforementioned CPRM technique to implement the copyright protection on the basis of the license information given from the license agency in the information storage medium, the user terminal device, a content encryption device and a content key encryption device. The content distribution center manages the content in an encrypted state and realizes a wide variety of types of copyright protection which enables controlling a content illegal outflow from the inside and outside of the distribution center and authentication processing among each enterprise and each device. 
     However, in a conventional information provision system described above, encrypted content with an enormous quantity of data has been transmitted via the communication line, traffic volume on the communication line increases as the number of users increases; the increase becomes a possible trigger of communication interference as well as it causes taking a long time to download the content. And the impossibility of an acquisition of content information without a user registration causes the difficulty of the user registration. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide an information provision system capable of securing sufficient copyright protection even if the system distributes content information with a tremendous quantity of data in a distribution form without using a high-speed communication line and even if in a sate before a user registration, its provision information copying device, a user terminal device and a user management device. 
     An information provision system, regarding the present invention to provide content information to a user terminal device, which enables recording the content information on an information storage medium with medium information of medium unique identifier and medium key information written, or at least medium information of medium unique identifier written therein, or on another information storage medium different from the information storage medium in a state in which the information storage medium is set in the terminal device, the system comprises: a content encryption device which acquires content key generation conditions together with the content information from a copyright owner or a copyright manager of the content information, generates a content key on the basis of the content key generation conditions and encrypts the content information by using the content key to generate encrypted content; a content key encryption device which registers the whole or a part of the medium information of the information storage medium as well as stores the content key generated from the content encryption device, uses the medium information or the medium information and device unique information of the user terminal device presented from the user terminal device when content is required, and then encrypts a content key corresponding to the required content to generate an encrypted content key; an encrypted content key distribution device which acquires the medium information together with specification information of the required content from the user terminal device to send it as content identification information to the content key encryption device and distributes the encrypted content key from the key encryption device to the user terminal device of a request origin via a communication line; a user management device which receives a user registration of the user terminal device in advance to issue authentication information individually and issues specified authentication information to permit access separately from the authentication information of the registered user; and an encrypted content copying device which writes the encrypted content generated from the content encryption device onto the information storage medium with the medium information written therein to create an information storage medium with the encrypted content copied thereon, and the system distributes the copied information storage medium with the encrypted content copied thereon together with the specified authentication information, wherein the user terminal device accesses to the user management device by using the specified authentication information via the communication line at viewing the copied information storage medium, presents the medium information or the medium information and the device unique information together with the content information stored in the copied information storage medium, and then acquires the encrypted content key to decrypt the encrypted content stored in the copied information storage medium from the encrypted content key distribution device to decrypt the content key. 
     A provision information copying device, regarding the present invention, which is used for the information provision system to provide content information to a user terminal device which enables recording the content information on an information storage medium with medium information of medium unique identifier and medium key information written, or at least medium information of medium unique identifier written therein, or on another information medium different from the information storage medium in a state in which the information storage medium is set in the terminal device, and the system is composed of: a content encryption device which acquires content key generation conditions together with the content information from a copyright owner or a copyright manager of the content information, generates a content key on the basis of the content key generation conditions and encrypts the content information by using the content key to generate encrypted content; a content key encryption device which registers the whole or a part of the medium information of the information storage medium as well as stores the content key generated from the content encryption device, uses the medium information or the medium information and device unique information of the user terminal device presented from the user terminal device when content is required, and then encrypts the content key corresponding to the required content to generate an encrypted content key; an encrypted content key distribution device which acquires the medium information together with specification information of the required content from the user terminal device to send it as content identification information to the content key encryption device and distributes the encrypted content key from the encryption device to the user terminal device of a request origin via a communication line; and a user management device which receives a user registration of the user terminal device in advance to issue authentication information individually and issues specified authentication information to permit access separately from the authentication information of the registered user, the copying device comprises: an encrypted content storage unit which stores the encrypted content generated from the content encryption device; a copy processing unit which reads out encrypted content from the encrypted content storage unit and writes it in the information storage medium with the medium information written therein to create a copy of the encrypted content; and specified authentication information adding means for adding the specified authentication information issued from the user management device to the information storage medium with the encrypted content copied thereon. 
     A user terminal device, regarding the present invention, which is used for an information provision system to provide content information and enables recording the content information on an information storage medium with medium information of medium unique identifier and medium key information written, or at least medium information of medium unique identifier written therein, or on another information medium different from the information storage medium in a state in which the information storage medium is set in the terminal device, and the system is composed of: a content encryption device which acquires content key generation conditions together with the content information from a copyright owner or a copyright manager of the content information, generates a content key on the basis of the content key generation conditions and encrypts the content information by using the content key to generate encrypted content; a content key encryption device which registers the whole or a part of the medium information of the information storage medium as well as stores the content key generated from the content encryption device, uses the medium information or the medium information and device unique information of the user terminal device presented from the user terminal device when content is required, and then encrypts the content key corresponding to the required content to generate an encrypted content key; an encrypted content key distribution device which acquires the medium information together with specification information of the required content from the user terminal device to send it as content identification information to the content key encryption device and distributes the encrypted content key from the key encryption device to the user terminal device of a request origin via a communication line; a user management device which receives a user registration of the user terminal device in advance to issue authentication information individually and issues specified authentication information to permit access separately from the authentication information of the registered user; and an encrypted content copying device which writes the encrypted content generated from the content encryption device into the information storage medium with the medium information written therein to create the information storage medium with the encrypted content copied thereon, the terminal device comprises: access means for accessing the user management device by using the specified authentication information via the communication line in viewing the copied information storage medium while distributing the copied information storage medium with the encrypted contents copied thereon together with the specified authentication information; content key acquiring means for acquiring the encrypted content key distributed from the encrypted content key distribution device by presenting the content information and the medium information stored in the copied information storage medium, or presenting the medium information and the device unique information; content key decryption means for decrypting the encrypted content key on the basis of the medium information stored in the copied information storage medium, or of the medium information and the device unique information; and content reproduction means for reproducing the encrypted content recorded on the copied information storage medium by using the decrypted content key. 
     A user management device, regarding the present invention, which is used for the information provision system to provide content information to a user terminal device which enables recording the content information on an information storage medium with medium information of medium unique identifier and medium key information written, or at least medium information of medium unique identifier written therein, or on another information medium different from the information storage medium in a state in which the information storage medium is set in the terminal device, the system is composed of: a content encryption device which acquires content key generation conditions together with the content information from a copyright owner or a copyright manager of the content information, generates a content key on the basis of the content key generation conditions and encrypts the content information by using the content key to generate encrypted content; a content key encryption device which registers the whole or a part of the medium information of the information storage medium as well as stores the content key generated from the content encryption device, uses the medium information or the medium information and device unique information of the information terminal device presented from the user terminal device when a content is required, and then encrypts the content key corresponding to the required content to generate an encrypted content key; an encrypted content key distribution device which acquires the medium information together with specification information of the required content from the user terminal device to send it as content identification information to the content key encryption device and distributes the encrypted content key from the encryption device to the user terminal device of a request origin via a communication line; and an encrypted content copying device which writes the encrypted content generated from the content encryption device into the information storage medium with the medium information written therein to create the information storage medium with the encrypted content copied thereon, and the user management device which receives a user registration of the user terminal device in advance to issue authentication information individually comprises: specified authentication information issue means for issuing specified authentication information so as to permit access when the access for a viewing request is performed from the user terminal with the information storage medium set therein by adding the specified authentication information in distributing the information storage medium with the encrypted contents copied thereon; information requiring means for requiring a presentation of content information and medium information stored in the copied information storage medium or the medium information and the device unique information to the user terminal device, when the access is permitted; and distribution control means for making the encrypted content key distribution device distribute the encrypted content key when the information is presented from the user terminal device, wherein the distribution control means determines presence or absence of the user registration from the authentication information presented when the access is performed and switches over content viewing conditions in response to the presence or absence of the registration to make the encrypted content key distribution device distribute the encrypted content key. 
     Additional advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
         FIGS. 1A ,  1 B and  1 C are exemplary block diagrams showing a configuration of an embodiment of an information provision system regarding the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exemplary flowchart for specifically explaining a flow of processing of an encrypted content copying device in  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B and  1 C; 
         FIG. 3  is an exemplary flowchart for explaining specifically a flow of processing of a user terminal device in  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B and  1 C; and 
         FIG. 4  is another exemplary flowchart for explaining specifically a flow of processing of a user terminal device in  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B and  1 C. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings. 
       FIGS. 1A ,  1 B and  1 C are functional block diagrams showing an embodiment of a system which achieves a content distribution service having a copyright protection function as an information provision system regarding the present invention. 
     In the system shown in  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B and  1 C, a device on an information provider includes an encrypted content copying device  16  in addition to a content encryption device  11 , a content key encryption device  12 , a content distribution device  13 , a content key distribution device  14  and a user management device  15 . On the other hand, a user terminal device  17  provided as a device on a user side has a function to communicate with the content distribution device  13 , content key distribution device  14  and user management device  15  via a communication line  10  and a function to write distributed content information in an information storage medium  18 , read out it from the storage medium  18  and record/reproduce it. 
     At this point, in the user terminal device  17 , for instance, a built-in ROM  171  stores an equipment key licensed from a license agency (not shown) for copyright protection in manufacturing by an equipment manufacturer. The information storage medium  18  is, for instance, a CPRM-compliant disk which is read only information (such as DVD-R) or writable and readable information (such as DVD-RW, DVD-RAM and SD memory), and a unique identifier (hereinafter referred to as medium unique identifier) assigned uniquely at every medium is added to the disk in being manufactured by the medium manufacturer. And also the medium key information licensed from the license agency in advance is added to the disk to record it in control information storage areas thereof, respectively. 
     The configuration of the system provides encrypted content by using the communication line  10  basically. The present invention however enables a user in an environment in which the communication lime  10  with a high-speed is not available or a user before a user registration to use the system. The present invention therefore copies legally the encrypted content on the storage medium  18  by means of the copying device  16  and sells at a charge or distributes at no charge the copied storage medium  18 . Then, for viewing the encrypted content recorded on the copied storage medium  18 , the system is configured to set the storage medium  18  in the terminal device  17  and access to the key distribution device  14  from the terminal device  17  via the communication line  10  then distribute a key to decrypt the encrypted content to the terminal device  17  from the key distribution device  14 . 
     Hereinafter, configurations of each device will be described specifically. 
     In  FIGS. 1A ,  1 B and  1 C, the content encryption device  11  receives content from a copyright owner or a copyright manager by a content receiving unit  111  to send it to an encrypted content generation unit  112 . On the other hand, a content key generation unit  113  generates a content key in accordance with random numbers, etc. An equipment key storage unit  114  stores an equipment key which is licensed from the license agency (not shown) in advance and is set to reproduction equipment of the terminal device  17 . The content generation unit  112  encrypts the content received on the basis of the content key and equipment key to generate the encrypted content and stores it in an encrypted content storage unit  115 . 
     If there are constrained conditions from the copyright owner or copyright manager, or those from the license agency, the medium manufacturer, an equipment manufacturer, and the like, an encryption condition processing unit  116  presents condition information to the encrypted content generation unit  112  if necessary. If there is any option in relation to provision content, an option information processing unit  117  presents the option information to the content generation unit  112 . When the condition information and option information are presented, the content generation unit  112  adds the information in encrypting the content. 
     As for the option information, it includes information to identify the copyright owner or copyright manager, information to identify the content distribution device  13 , information to identify the content key distribution device  14 , information to identify a region, information to identify the medium manufacturer, information to identify the equipment manufacture, content identification information, information to indicate content viewing conditions and control attached information of the content, etc. As for the control attached information, it includes, for instance, menu information, transition information in the content (thumbnail, menu link, etc.), external linkage information (connection address for the Internet, etc.), guidance information (character, still image, etc.). 
     The generated encrypted content is issued to the content distribution device  13  and the encrypted content copying device  16 , and the content key used in encrypting the content is issued to the content key encryption device  12 . The key encryption device  12  once stores the content key received from the content encryption device  11  in a content key storage unit  121 . On the other hand, the key encryption device  12  acquires the equipment key information in advance from the license agency to store it in an equipment key storage unit  122  and acquires the content identification information including the medium information (medium key information and medium unique identifier) from the user terminal device  17  which has been requiring viewing through the below-mentioned the content key distribution device  14  and the communication line  10 . A key generation unit  123  then takes in the content key corresponding to the content specified by the content identification information from the key storage unit  121  to encrypt the content key on the basis of a part or the whole of the medium information and the equipment key (including option information if it is present), stores the generated encrypted content key in a storage unit  124  to add authentication information by means of an encrypted content key issue unit  125 , and then transfers it to the content key distribution unit  14 . 
     The key encryption device  12  acquires the medium key information of the copied medium  18  from the license agency in advance in order to enable legal decryption of the encrypted content through a copied medium distribution and stores it in a medium key information storage unit  126 . And when viewing for the encrypted content recorded on the copied medium  18  is requested, a medium information processing unit  127  reads out the corresponding medium information from the key information storage unit  126  to transfer it to the key generation unit  123 . And the key encryption unit  12  issues the encrypted content key which is possible to be decrypted only in reproducing the encrypted content recorded in the copied medium  18  which has been viewing-required. 
     The medium information processing unit  127  checks if the stored medium key information licensed from the license agency is the medium key information acquired from the content encryption device  11 . And if they are not matched with each other, the information processing unit  127  conducts handling to store them as if they have been licensed from the license agency or to stop encryption of the content key as if they have not been licensed. 
     The content distribution device  13  stores the encrypted contents titled with a plurality of titles generated from the content encryption device  11  in an encrypted content storage unit  131  in advance. Then, when a specification/distribution of the content is instructed from the user management device  15 , a content distribution device  132  distributes the corresponding encrypted content to the user terminal device  17  of the request origin via the communication line  10 . 
     When receiving an instruction to distribute the content key from the user management device  15 , the content key distribution device  14  receives a part or the whole of the medium information of the information storage medium transmitted from the terminal device  17  via the communication line  10 , receives the option information if necessary and requires issue of the encrypted content key (content identification information) to the content key encryption device  12 . In response to this request, the key distribution device  14  stores the encrypted content key issued from the key encryption device  12  in an encrypted content key storage unit  142 . And then, an encrypted content key distribution unit  143  distributes the encrypted content key to the terminal device  17  of the viewing request origin via the communication line  10  on the basis of the instruction content of a content key distribution. 
     The user management device  15  stores user information, including personal information, viewing conditions information, etc., of the registered user, in a user information storage unit  151  in advance. When access is made from the terminal device  17  via the communication lime  10 , a user management unit  152  performs negotiations, such as user authentication, medium information request, viewing condition confirmation and content specification to and from the terminal device  17 , sends a content distribution instruction to the content distribution device  13  and sends a content key distribution instruction to the content key distribution device  14 . When the distribution is fixed, a charging processing unit  153  charges to a viewing requiring user and conducts an authentication confirmation to and from electronic money (Web money) enterprise if circumstances require. 
     Here, the user information storage unit  151  manages information to achieve charging processing to a service subscriber and user information, such as an ID/password, an address, a name, a birth date, and a phone number to authenticate the access from the terminal device  17 . Other than this, the information storage unit  151  manages an ID/password for access generated from an ID/password for access issuing unit  154  as a non-subscriber user. 
     Further, the user management device  15  issues the ID/password for access as authentication information for a guest by the issuing unit  154  for a user desiring to get the ID/password for access to view the content other than the registered user to store it in the user information storage unit  151  and also provides it to the encrypted content copying device  16 . Thereby, when the access authentication is made by ID/password for guest access, the user management unit  15  determines that it is a request for viewing the copied medium  18 , then, becomes possible to issue the corresponding encrypted content key. 
     In the case of necessity of charging, the charging processing unit  153  sends information to an authentication system, such as Web money owned by the electronic money enterprise to acquire information on the possibility of charging. In either case of a user to be charged or a user not to be charged, when it is confirmed that the sent information is the ID/password for access stored in the user information storage unit  151 , the user management unit  152  issues the authentication information to the terminal device  17 . 
     The encrypted content copying device  16  stores the encrypted content of the specified title from the content encryption device  11  in advance to an encrypted content storage unit  161 . The copying device  16  reads out the encrypted content from the storage unit  161  by means of an encrypted content copying unit  162  to write it in an information storage medium (aforementioned CPRM-compliant medium) having the medium key information licensed to the medium manufacturer from the license agency and the medium unique identifier uniquely assigned by the medium manufacturer, and then creates a medium, with the encrypted content copied thereon, titled with the specified title. 
     At this time, the copying unit  162  label-prints the authentication information for a guest (ID/password for access) issued from the user management device  15  on a copied medium package to present it, or writes it in the copied medium itself as a part of direct control information. It is not always necessary for the authentication information for the guest to be distributed together with the copied medium, and for example, a distribution only to a user who has required via the Internet is a possible approach. The copied medium  18  generated like this manner is distributed by a sale or a free distribution. 
     The foregoing copy processing adds the option information into the information storage medium if necessary. The option information includes information to identify the medium manufacture, information to identify the key distribution device, information to identify the equipment manufacturer, an tent identification information, information indicating content viewing contents, control attached information of content [for instance, menu information, transition information (thumbnail, menu link, etc.)], external-linkage information (connection address for the Internet, etc.), guidance information (character, still image, etc.), and the like. 
     That is to say, the aforementioned copying device  16  receives the copy instruction, as shown in  FIG. 2  (ST 11 ), reads out the corresponding encrypted content to store it in the information storage medium  18  (ST 12 ) and determines if the authentication information for the guest should be stored (ST 13 ). Further, the copying device  16  determines the presence or absence of the option information (ST 14 ) and if the storage instruction for the authentication information for the guest is present and the option information is also present, additionally stores them in the information storage medium  18  together with the encrypted content (ST 15 ). If the storage instruction of the authentication information for the guest is absent and the option information is also absent in the above-described determination (ST 13  and ST 14 ), the copying device  16  ends a series of processing. 
     The user terminal device  17 , as shown in  FIG. 3 , when the viewing request is made (ST 21 ), determines whether or not the request is for the viewing of the encrypted content on the copied medium  18  (ST 22 ). When the request is not the content viewing request for the copied medium  18 , the terminal device  17  accesses to the user management unit  15  by using the ID/password for the access issued in performing the user registration (ST 23 ), and after completion of the authentication (ST 24 ), specifies the title and viewing conditions, etc., of the content to notify them to the management device  15  (ST 25 ). At this moment, when receiving the authentication information from the management device  15 , a user request processing unit  172  notifies the fact to a medium information issuing unit  173 . When a part or the whole of the medium information of the information storage medium  18  set in a medium drive  174  is present and when the option information is present in the information storage medium  18  or in the stored encrypted content, the issuing unit  173  acquires the information depending on necessity to issues it to the content key distribution device  14 . 
     With this issuing, an encrypted content key acquiring unit  175  receives the encrypted content key provided from the content key distribution device  14  to store it in a storage unit  176  (ST 26 ). An encrypted content acquiring unit  177  receives the encrypted content provided from the content distribution device  13  to sore it in a (download) storage unit  178  (ST 27 ). The encrypted content stored in the storage unit  178  can be written in the information storage medium  18  set in the medium drive  174 , if necessary. 
     When a viewing request for the encrypted content stored in the aforementioned encrypted content storage unit  178  or the information storage medium  18 , an encrypted content decryption unit  179  firstly reads out an encrypted content key to decrypt the encrypted content from the storage unit  176  to decrypt the content key (ST 28 ) by using the medium information and the equipment key (ST 29 ). The content decrypted in this manner is presented under a certain condition by a content presenting unit  1710  (ST 30 ). That is, the encrypted content decryption unit  179  and the content presenting unit  1710  are presentation-controlled under the management of the user management device  15  through the user request processing unit  172 . 
     In contrast, when the copied medium  18  is set in the medium drive  174  of the user terminal device  17  and encrypted content viewing of the copied medium  18  is requested in the step ST 22 , the user terminal device  17  accesses to the user management device  15  by using the authentication information for the guest has been added to the copied medium  18  (ST 31 ). When the authentication information is written in the copied medium  18  itself, authentication information input work can be eliminated and the operability can be improved by being configured to automatically read out the authentication information to notify it to the user management device  15 . In the case of receiving permission by the access for the guest (ST 32 ), the terminal device  17  can acquire the encrypted content key (ST 34 ) by notifying the medium information stored in the copied medium  18  to the user management device  15  (ST 33 ). Hereinafter, like the case of downloading, the decrypted content is reproduction-presented (ST 30 ) thorough the decryption of the content key (ST 35 ) and the decryption of the encrypted content on the copied medium  18  (ST 36 ). Thereby, the user terminal device  17  becomes possible to view the encrypted content on the set copied medium  18 . And it is also possible for the user management device  15  to perform the charging processing in a charging method differing from that of for the registered user by notifying the authentication information for the guest and, for instance, it is also possible to let the user pay the viewing charge in advance by the electronic money. 
     Hereinafter, the series of the processing of the user management device  15  will be described specifically by referring to  FIG. 4 . 
     At first, when the user terminal device  17  accesses via the communication line  10 , the management device  15  determines whether or not the access is made with the authentication information for the guest (ST 41 ), if the authentication information is not for the guest but for the registered user, it specifies the user in accordance with the authentication information (ST 42 ). The management device  15  further determines the viewing conditions imposed to the specified user (ST 43 ) to conducts charging processing along with the conditions (ST 44 ). Next to this, the management device  15  instructs so as to distribute the encrypted content key of the specified content (ST 45 ) and instructs the distribution of the encrypted content itself (ST 46 ), and then ends the series of the processing. 
     If the access authentication is one for the guest, the management device  15  firstly determines the effectiveness of the authentication information (ST 47 ), if it is not effective, terminates the series of the processing, and if effective, permits the access to request for the medium information (ST 48 ). If the medium information of the copied medium  18  is presented from the user terminal device  17 , the management device  15  determines the effectiveness of the medium information presented on the basis of the effectiveness information related to the copied medium registered in advance (ST 49 ), and ends the series of the processing if it is not effective. If it is effective, the management device  15  proceeds to a procedure to use the electronic money (ST 50 ) to instruct the distribution of the encrypted content key (ST 51 ), then ends the series of the processing. 
     According to the above-described configuration, having basically provided the encrypted content though the communication line  10 , even though the user in the environment impossible to use the communication line  10  with a high-speed, downloading of the content with a large quantity becomes unnecessary, and only receiving a key distribution is required. Therefore, the user can view the content by participating to this system for proving the information. Simultaneously, a load reduction in the communication line  10  is achieved. 
     Even though the user has not made its registration yet, the user can get the key for the encrypted content decryption to view the content and the system becomes extremely effective for the user who fears the personal information to be abused. 
     Because the copied medium is a rewritable medium, when the stored content becomes unnecessary one and further, for example, when the user made its user registration and gets other content, the user can use the medium to store the content therein. 
     In the embodiment given above, in requiring the issue of the encrypted content key to the content key encryption device  12 , the user needs content identification information to specify the content. The identification information; however, may be acquired in a manner such that the content encryption device  11  adds the identification information in the encrypted content, the copying device  16  adds it in the information storage medium  18  and the medium drive  173  of the terminal device  17  acquires it, and maybe issued from the content key distribution device  14  together with the medium information. Furthermore, the content identification information may be stored in the user information storage unit  151  in associated with the ID/password for the access when the ID/password is issued from the ID/password for the access issuing unit  154  in accordance with the information, from the copyright owner and copyright manager, from the content encryption device  11 , from the encrypted content copying device  16  and from the content key distribution device  14 , etc., and then, the identification information may be taken out by the user management unit  152  to issue it to the medium information acquiring unit  141  or issued to the user terminal device  17  when the user management unit  152  receives the viewing request from the user terminal device  17 . 
     As descried above, in this embodiment, the content encryption device  11  generates the encrypted content, and the encrypted content copying device  16  copies only the encrypted content to one or more information storage media  18 . At this moment, the copying device  16  adds the option information to the content as the occasion demands. The copied information storage medium  18  should be sold at a charge or distributed at no charge. 
     The user gets the storage medium  18  to connect or set it to or in the user terminal device  17 , accesses to the user management device  15  to receive permission by means of the authentication information distributed together with the storage medium  18  and presents a part or the whole of the medium information to the content key distribution device  14 . 
     The content key distribution device  14  makes a request for issuing the encrypted content key to the content key encryption device  12 , and the key encryption device  12  extracts the corresponding content key to encrypt it in accordance with a part or the whole of the equipment key information, with the medium information and also with the option information as the need arises, and issues the encrypted content key to the content key distribution device  14 . The key distribution device  14  then distributes the encrypted content key to the user terminal device  17 . 
     Therefore, the user can get the encrypted content having an enormous quantity of data without using any communication line and reduce the load on the communication line, and further, the user can use even a communication line with a low communication speed. 
     In the embodiment given above, in the case of the user as the service subscriber at the content key distribution device, although the information for achieving the charging processing and the ID/password for authenticating the access from the user terminal device are associated with the user information and managed by the user information storage unit, another configuration of the information provision system is also a possible approach. That is, to use the information storage medium with the encrypted content created from the encrypted content copying device recorded thereon so as to enable even a service-non-subscriber user to access the content, the content key distribution device is provided with the ID/password for access issuing unit. And the system uses the ID/password issued form the issuing unit, distinguishes the service subscriber user from the non-subscriber 
     Thereby, it becomes possible even for the non-subscriber user to use the content in a manner in which the copyright is protected, to perform spot use in accordance with charging used the electronic money such as Web money or to be induced to become a service subscriber by participating promotional use without any charge. 
     In the above-mentioned embodiment, a system having been presented on the premise that the content can be downloaded through the communication line, the present invention can be achieved similarly even in a system which does not distribute the content via the communication line. And in the above-mentioned embodiment, a system having been presented on the premise that uses CPRM-compliant medium, the present invention can be achieved similarly even in a system which uses AACS-compliant medium. 
     Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.