Patent ID: 6999947

Claim:
A license devolution apparatus, comprising: storage medium accessing means for accessing a first storage medium storing contents encrypted with a predetermined key, storing a first media ID identifying the first storage medium, and storing a first encryption secure information generated by encrypting the key and a first license information that represents a right to use the contents, together with one another or individually, with the first media ID, and accessing a second storage medium storing a second media ID identifying the second storage medium; decoding means for decoding the first encryption secure information stored in said first storage medium by reading the first media ID and using the first media ID to obtain the key and the first license information; and encryption means for reading the second media ID and encrypting the key and a second license information that represents a second right to use the contents devolved from the first license information stored on the first storage medium by passing down the first license information of the first storage medium to the second storage medium as a successor of the first storage medium and degenerating the first license information in the first storage medium, together with one another or individually, with the read second media ID, to generate a second encryption secure information with the second media ID for storage in said second storage medium.