Patent ID: 7620811

Claim:
A server apparatus, connected to an information processing terminal via a network, for determining whether or not to distribute a program in response to and identified in a program obtainment request attached to a terminal ID transmitted from the information processing terminal, wherein the information processing terminal stores the terminal ID such that the stored terminal ID cannot be re-written externally, wherein the identified program includes a program body for running on the information processing terminal and program specific information for running the program body, and wherein the server apparatus comprises: a receiving unit operable to receive the program obtainment request attached to the terminal ID, the program obtainment request being received from the information processing terminal; a table holding unit operable to hold a first table identifying a relationship between a previously distributed program and a terminal ID; and a decision unit operable to (i) decide whether or not the terminal ID attached to the program obtainment request received by the receiving unit is recorded in the first table, (ii) distribute only the program body of the identified program to the information processing terminal by prohibiting distribution of the program specific information of the identified program in a case where the decision unit decides that the terminal ID is recorded in the first table, and (iii) in a case where the decision unit decides that the terminal ID is not recorded in the first table, add, to the first table, the terminal ID and the program specific information, such that the added terminal ID and the program specific information have a corresponding relationship identified in the first table and distribute the program body and the program specific information, as the identified program, to the information processing terminal, wherein the distributed program specific information is for revoking the information processing terminal from attempting an unauthorized use of the identified program.