Patent ID: 8607052

Claim:
A management apparatus for managing copying of a content from an original recording medium that stores the content thereon to a copy recording medium, the management apparatus comprising: a transmission/reception unit configured to receive title information, a copy-medium identifier, an original-medium identifier and a key group from a copying apparatus and to transmit permission information to the copying apparatus, the title information identifying the content, the original-medium identifier identifying the original recording medium, the copy-medium identifier identifying the copy recording medium, the key group having been read from the copy recording medium, and the permission information indicating permission for the copying of the content; a control unit configured to determine whether to permit the copying of the content based on the received title information, the received original-medium identifier and the received copy-medium identifier, and to allow the transmission/reception unit to transmit the permission information when determining to permit the copying; and a management unit configured to hold a database for storing therein registered title information that identifies a registered content, a registered original-medium identifier that identifies a registered original recording medium and a registered copy-medium identifier that identifies a registered copy recording medium in association with each other, wherein the control unit determines whether a set of the received title information and the received original-medium identifier matches a set of the registered title information and the registered original-medium identifier stored in the database and whether the received copy-medium identifier matches the registered copy-medium identifier associated with the set stored in the database, and allows the transmission/reception unit to transmit the permission information when determining that the set of the received title information and the received original-medium identifier matches the set of the registered title information and the registered original-medium identifier, and the received copy-medium identifier does not match the registered copy-medium identifier, and when the control unit determines that the set of the received title information and the received original-medium identifier matches the set of the registered title information and the registered original-medium identifier, and the received copy-medium identifier does not match the registered copy-medium identifier, the management unit registers the received copy-medium identifier into the database in association with the registered title information and the registered original-medium identifier.