Patent ID: 8295680

Claim:
A recording and reproducing apparatus that records and reproduces an Audio and Visual (AV) data item with a use restriction value defined by a predetermined copyright protection protocol, the AV data item including at least one of video data and audio data that are included in a program, said apparatus comprising: an AV recording medium on which the AV data item is recorded; a transmitting and receiving unit configured to transmit and receive the AV data item and information on the AV data item to and from an other apparatus connected to said recording and reproducing apparatus via a network; a retrieving unit configured to retrieve a plurality of AV data items that indicate a same program and are recorded on said AV recording medium and in the other apparatus; a comparing unit configured to compare image qualities of the AV data items retrieved by said retrieving unit; and a restriction value control unit configured to move use restriction values through said transmitting and receiving unit so that, based on a result of the comparison performed by said comparing unit, (i) a use restriction value of one of the AV data items that has a lower image quality is decreased by a predetermined value and (ii) a use restriction value of an other one of the AV data items that has a higher image quality is increased by the predetermined value.