Patent ID: 7512607

Claim:
A content sharing system, including a plurality of content processing apparatuses by which content data are shared, comprising: a content providing side content processing apparatus comprising: a source ID addition section configured to add to content data a source ID for specifying said content providing side content processing apparatus as a providing source of the content data for when the content data provided from said content providing side apparatus is later circulated in the content sharing system, and a content providing section configured to provide therefrom the content data having the source ID specifying said content providing side content processing apparatus added thereto; a content acquiring side content processing apparatus comprising: a content production section configured to produce content data; a source ID addition section configured to add, to the content data produced by said content production section, a source ID specifying said content acquiring side processing apparatus as a providing source of the content data produced by said content production section for when the content data produced by said content production section is later circulated in the content sharing system; a content acquiring section configured to acquire from the content providing side content processing apparatus the content data having the source ID specifying said content providing side content processing apparatus added thereto, and a content rendering section having a rendering permission ID list including at least one source ID for which rendering is permitted, and is configured to permit rendering of the content data on the content acquiring side content processing apparatus when the source ID added to the content data acquired from the content providing side content processing apparatus is included in said rendering permission ID list and to prevent rendering of the content data on the content acquiring side content processing apparatus when the source ID added to the content data acquired from the content providing side content processing apparatus is not included in said rendering permission ID list; and a list management section configured to permit updating of said rendering permission ID list, wherein said content acquiring side content processing apparatus functions as a client connected to a distribution server that distributes content data via a network, and said source ID addition section is further configured to add, to content data received from said distribution server, a source ID specifying a user account of said content acquiring side content processing apparatus as a providing source of the content data received from said distribution server for when the content data received from said distribution server is later circulated in the content sharing system.