Patent ID: 7542571

Claim:
An information processing apparatus for transmitting information via a network comprising: key management means for generating and managing a secret key and a public key for a first content, first transmission means for adding said public key to the first content and transmitting the first content with the added public key, requesting means for requesting an electronic signature produced by employing said secret key; and second transmission means for adding predetermined data incorporating said electronic signature to second content different from said first content and transmitting the second content to which said predetermined data is added, said predetermined data including a command to refer to the second content; wherein said second content includes reference to said first content for use of said first content with said second content; said key management means executing electronic signing only when it is judged that the reference to the first content by the second content does not infringe a predetermined right to the first content; and wherein the predetermined data includes first content insertion start position information and insertion end position information and second content reference start position information and reference end position information, thereby identifying portions of said first content to be used with a reference portion of said second content.