Patent ID: 8868861

Claim:
An information recording apparatus mutually communicable with a copy-count management server that manages medium identifying information for uniquely identifying an information recording medium and information regarding an allowable number of copies of a digital content recorded in the information recording medium to be associated with each other, the information recording apparatus comprising: a processor; and a memory serving as a storage medium of the processor, the processor configured to perform: an identification information obtaining process that obtains the medium identifying information of an inserted information recording medium; a first information obtaining process that obtains the information regarding the allowable number of copies from the copy-count management server, the allowable number of copies being associated with the medium identifying information obtained by the identification information obtaining process; a cached-data registering process that caches content data of the digital content recorded in the inserted information recording medium in a first storage section at preset timing; a copy determination process that: when receiving a copy request for the digital content recorded in the inserted information recording medium, determines whether to perform a copy process based on the information regarding the allowable number of copies obtained by the first information obtaining process, and when determining to perform the copy process, copies the content data cached in the first storage section to an information recording medium as copy destination; a process-result sending process that sends, to the copy-count management server, a result of the copy process by the copy process process; a cached-data holding process that holds the content data cached in the first storage section if the information regarding the allowable number of copies, obtained by the first information obtaining process for the digital content recorded in the inserted information recording medium, on which the result of the copy process by the copy process process has been reflected represents that a next copy process is allowed; and a cached-data abandoning process that abandons the content data cached in the first storage section if the information regarding the allowable number of copies, obtained by the first information obtaining process for the digital content recorded in the inserted information recording medium, on which the result of the copy process by the copy process process has been reflected represents that a next copy process is disallowed.