Patent ID: 8255488

Claim:
A data distribution apparatus comprising: a communication unit configured to communicate with a data communication apparatus through a network, and to receive from the data communication apparatus first content identification data identifying content data stored in a memory of the data communication apparatus; a storage unit configured to store a content list including second content identification data identifying a plurality of recommended content data; a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the first content identification data received by said communication unit from the data communication apparatus is on said content list stored in said storage unit when the communication unit receives the first content identification data from the data communication apparatus, and to determine which of the plurality of recommended content data is stored in the memory of the data communication apparatus based on the first content identification data received by the communication unit from the data communication apparatus on the content list stored in the storage unit, wherein the second content identification data corresponds or relates to the content data stored in the memory of the data communication apparatus, the content data being stored in the memory of the data communication apparatus based on at least one operation of the data communication apparatus by a user; and a communication control unit configured to control said communication unit to transmit said content list and, when the determination unit determines the first content identification data is on said content list, determination results produced by said determination unit to said data communication apparatus, the determination results indicating which of the first content identification data received by said communication unit is on said content list.