Patent ID: 8903906

Claim:
An information communications system for an overlay network comprising: a plurality of node devices which are configured to be connected to each other through a network and constitute the overlay network, contents being distributed and stored in the plurality of node devices, the plurality of node devices including a contents source transmitting contents to other node devices, each of the plurality of node devices comprising a memory that stores instructions and a processor that executes the instructions, wherein the plurality of node devices includes a first node device, the processor of the first node device being configured to store the contents and being configured to limit uploading of the contents, and an information processing apparatus comprising a memory that stores instructions and a processor that executes the instructions, the processor of the information processing apparatus being configured to: store location information indicating a location, in the network, of a contents holding node device and first information indicating a data uploadable amount of the contents by which the contents holding node device whose location is indicated by the location information can upload the contents, the location information and the first information being correlated with each other, the data uploadable amount indicating an amount of data which can be uploaded within a predetermined period and being determined based on an allowable amount of data to be uploaded for the predetermined period and a total amount of data which has been uploaded to another node within the predetermined period, determine location information of a contents holding node device whose data uploadable amount is equal to or greater than a threshold and whose location is indicated by the location information on the basis of the first information; and transmit the determined location information of the contents holding node device to the first node device of the plurality of node devices, wherein the processor of the first node device is configured to: receive the location information transmitted from the information processing apparatus, acquire the contents from the contents holding node device whose data uploadable amount is equal to or greater than the threshold on the basis of the first information, the location of the contents holding node device being indicated by the location information.