Patent ID: 7570762

Claim:
A content delivery service providing apparatus which provides content delivery service via a communication line to a user-side terminal unit capable of recording content into an information storage medium into which at least a medium unique identifier and medium information on medium key information have been written, or into a different information storage medium from the information storage medium with the information storage medium being set, the content delivery service providing apparatus comprising: a user management control unit which preregisters user information including personal information about a user applying for subscription to the delivery service, service range, and payment method, and manages the distribution of authentication information and the distribution of a delivery content list at the time of providing service on a user basis, and the acceptance of a content select request; an encrypted content control unit which acquires not only content but also a content key creation condition from a copyright owner or copyright manager of the content who provides the delivery service, and creates a content key on the basis of the content key creation condition and encrypted content on the basis of the content key; an encrypted content key control unit, separate from the encrypted content control unit, which accumulates the content keys created at the encrypted content control unit and, registers all of or a part of the medium information on medium key information in the information storage medium and, using the medium information on medium key information or the medium information on medium key information and terminal device unique key information presented at the user's content request, encrypts the content key corresponding to the requested content, and issues the encrypted content key to the terminal unit of the requesting user; and a content delivery control unit which accumulates the encrypted contents created at the encrypted content control unit, selects the corresponding content at the user's content request, and delivers the encrypted content to the terminal unit of the requesting user.