Patent ID: 7533180

Claim:
A first information-processing device comprising: transmission means for transmitting a content and information necessary for the content to a second device; and, controlling means for controlling copying of the content to the second device on the basis of an allowable number of copies, the controlling means decrementing the allowable number each time the content and information necessary for the content is transmitted to the second device and storing an identification of the second device in a memory upon copying the content to the second device, the controlling means deleting the identification of the second device in the memory and the content and the information necessary for the content from the second device when the content and information necessary for the content is returned to the first information-processing device, the controlling means incrementing the allowable number and deleting the identification of the second device from the memory if the controlling means confirms that the second device no longer stores the copied content and the memory still stores the identification of the second device therein.