Patent ID: 7711614

Claim:
A contents distribution service computer for managing rental pieces of contents distribution through a network, comprising: a memory storing a server program and computer executable instructions; and a processor in communication with the memory, wherein the processor executing the computer-executable instructions comprises: a contents distribution instruction portion operable to execute computer logic to give an instruction to distribute rental pieces of contents to a user terminal connectable to the network in accordance with a contents distribution request given from the user terminal; a storage status management portion operable to execute computer logic to manage contents storage status information as management-side contents storage status information, the contents storage status information indicating the storage status of the rental pieces of contents in the user terminal; a contents limiting portion operable to execute computer logic to establish a contents usable limit for the user terminal in response to a request for said contents usable limit transmitted from said user terminal, wherein the contents usable limit establishes a predetermined maximum number of rental pieces of contents that can be distributed to the user terminal at a time, the predetermined maximum number of rental pieces of contents being user selectable via the user terminal; and a reception portion operable to execute computer logic to receive a contents storage status report containing the contents storage status information in the user terminal, from the user terminal, wherein the storage status management portion has a storage status information update function for updating the management side contents storage status information based on the contents storage status report; and wherein the contents distribution instruction portion determines a remaining number of rental pieces of content that is less than the predetermined maximum number of rental pieces of contents defined by the contents usable limit in the user terminal based on information concerned with available rental pieces of contents and deleted rental pieces of contents contained in the management-side contents storage status information, and gives an instruction to distribute rental pieces of contents within the remaining number in accordance with the contents distribution request.