Patent ID: 8336075

Claim:
An information distribution system including a plurality of information processors which transmit and receive distribution information via a network, and a management apparatus for managing a distribution status of the distribution information, the information distribution system being an information distribution system of a peer-to-peer type constituted by the plurality of information processors, wherein at least one information processor of the plurality of information processors comprises: a first receiving unit which receives the distribution information from any of the plurality of information processors in the information distribution system of the peer-to-peer; a determining unit configured to determine reception status information based on an amount of the distribution information received from any of the plurality of information processors in the information distribution system of the peer-to-peer; and a transmitting unit which transmits reception status information indicative of a reception status of the corresponding amount of the distribution information to the management apparatus; the management apparatus comprises: a second receiving unit which receives the reception status information transmitted by the transmitting unit of the information processors in the information distribution system of the peer-to-peer; a management unit which manages a distribution status of the distribution information for the information processors which receive the distribution information, using the reception status information received by the second receiving unit, a delay device determining unit configured to determine the information processor in which a delay in distributing the distribution information occurs on the basis of the reception status information obtained; a distribution promoting unit configured to, in response to determining the information processor in which the distribution delay occurs, transmit distribution promotion information indicating that the distribution is to be promoted for the information processor in which the distribution delay occurs; and a cause determining unit configured to determine a cause of the distribution delay; and when the cause determination unit determines that the distribution delay is caused by limitation of a distribution time zone, the distribution promoting unit transmits the distribution promotion information that promotes cancellation of the limitation to the information processor in which the distribution delay occurs.