Patent ID: 7603335

Claim:
An attribute information acquisition method for an acquisition information apparatus, the attribute information acquisition method comprising: transmitting, from the acquisition information apparatus, an attribute request for contents attribute information for altering attributes of contents data stored in a storage medium to an attribute information providing apparatus, the attribute request including an accounting ID identifying an accounting process corresponding to the contents attribute information; receiving, at the acquisition information apparatus, the contents attribute information transmitted from the attribute information providing apparatus as a result of the transmission of the attribute request; storing, in a memory device of the acquisition information apparatus, contents attribute identification information identifying the contents attribute information, when the receiving the contents attribute information is complete; judging, at the acquisition information apparatus, that the communication with the attribute information providing apparatus was interrupted during the receiving the contents attribute information, if the contents attribute identification information is not stored in the acquisition information apparatus; transmitting, from the acquisition information apparatus, to the attribute information providing apparatus, an accounting status notification request for an accounting status notification that indicates whether the accounting process that corresponds to the contents attribute information has been completed, in response to a restoration of a communication enabled state with the attribute information providing apparatus after the acquisition information apparatus judges that the communication with the attribute information providing apparatus was interrupted during the receiving the contents attribute information, the accounting status notification request including the accounting ID; and receiving, at the acquisition information apparatus, the accounting status notification associated with the accounting ID, transmitted from the attribute information providing apparatus as a result of the transmitting the accounting status notification request.