Patent ID: 7882118

Claim:
A contents acquisition method comprising: transmitting file request information that requests an acquisition/use file including a contents providing address corresponding to a request for acquiring contents data stored in an external apparatus and an attributes information providing address, separate from the contents providing address; receiving the acquisition/use file corresponding to the file request information; temporarily storing the acquisition/use file received; determining whether contents identification information corresponding to the contents providing address in the acquisition/use file is registered in a database; transmitting contents request information for requesting the contents data corresponding to the contents identification information to the external apparatus when it is determined that the contents identification information is not registered in the database; receiving the contents data transmitted from the external apparatus as a result of transmitting the contents request information to the external apparatus; temporarily storing the contents identification information as in-storage contents identification information when it is determined that the contents identification information is registered in the database or when the reception of the contents data is completed; transmitting attributes request information for requesting contents attributes information for altering the attributes of the contents data corresponding to the in-storage contents identification information to the attributes information providing address in the acquisition/use file when the temporary storage of the in-storage contents identification information is completed; receiving the contents attributes information corresponding to the attributes request information; temporarily storing the contents attributes identification information corresponding to the contents attributes information after the completion of the reception of the contents attributes information; registering the contents data and the contents attributes information in the database; deleting the temporarily stored information after the completion of the registration of the contents data and the contents attributes information in the database; and controlling reproduction of the contents data based on reproduction criteria included in the contents attributes information, wherein the file request information includes contents data identification information, and the acquisition/use file includes the attributes information providing address correlated with the contents data identification information.