Patent ID: 8387116

Claim:
An attribute information authentication apparatus for a second user to authenticate attribute information of a first user, a plurality of user terminals being connected via a communication network and used by users, whose attribute information expressing the characteristics of the users is registered as a condition for using a network service website established on a communication network, the device comprising: a first storage device capable of mutually associating and storing user identification information for identifying the user, attribute information having at least one item registered by the user, information for contacting the user terminal, and authenticated information expressing that the user has already been authenticated; an attribute information authentication request processing device for transmitting, to the second user terminal used by the second user, attribute information registered by the first user and transmitted from the first user terminal used by the first user, as well as attribute information authentication request information for requesting authentication of the attribute information; and an attribute information authentication processing device for registering authenticated information indicating that authentication information has been associated with the attribute information registered by the first user and received by the first storage device when the authentication information indicating that the attribute information registered by the first user has been authenticated has been received from the second user terminal in accordance with the transmission of the attribute information authentication request information via the attribute information authentication request processing device, wherein the attribute information authentication request processing device references the first storage device, and determines the existence of the authenticated information registered in association with the attribute information of the second user on the basis of second user identification information when attribute information authentication request information transmitted from the first user terminal has been received; transmits the attribute information authentication request to the second user terminal when the authenticated information has been registered; and otherwise transmits to the first user terminal an attribute authentication failure notification for providing notification that the second user does not have authorization to authenticate attribute information when the authenticated information has not been registered.