Patent ID: 7366737

Claim:
A first storage component connected to at least one second storage component via a network, said first storage component comprising: a first recording unit that records at least one content; a first control unit associated with said first recording unit, said first control unit generating first data representing storage capacity in use by each user of said first recording unit; a management table that has a first management item and a second management item, said management table of said first storage component being separate from a corresponding management table of said second storage component, said first management item comprising i) a first data generated by said first control unit regarding the storage capacity in use by each user of said first recording unit, and ii) a second data generated by a second control unit of said second storage component regarding storage capacity in use by each user of a second recording unit of said second storage component, wherein the first and second storage components are physically independent storage devices that are connected via the network, said second management item for managing, for each user, total storage capacity that each user is allowed to use in said first and second recording units of said first and second storage components; and an interface for receiving said second data from said second storage component and registering said received second data in said management table of said first storage component, wherein, said first control unit restricts the storage capacity in use by the users based on said management table of said first storage component so that the storage capacity of said first and second recording units used by a user does not exceed the total storage capacity that the user is allowed to use as registered by said second management item.