Patent ID: 8245309

Claim:
A content viewing system, comprising: a content viewing apparatus used for viewing a content; and a viewing approval apparatus that is a portable communication apparatus used by a viewing approval party to perform an approval process, the viewing approval party having authority to approve viewing of the content, wherein said content viewing apparatus includes a viewing approval requesting section configured to transmit a viewing approval request to said viewing approval apparatus when it has been determined that approval for the viewing of the content, the viewing of which has been requested, is necessary, and a content viewing control section configured to receive, from said viewing approval apparatus, an approval/disapproval response to the viewing approval request, and, if the approval/disapproval response indicates that the viewing of the content has been approved, enable the viewing of the content, and said viewing approval apparatus includes an output section configured to output information concerning the viewing approval request received from said content viewing apparatus, an input section configured to accept input of the approval/disapproval response to the viewing approval request, and an approval/disapproval response notification section configured to notify said content viewing apparatus of the approval/disapproval response inputted via the input section; wherein said content viewing apparatus further includes an approval party status acquisition section configured to acquire, from said viewing approval apparatus, an approval party status that indicates whether or not the viewing approval request needs to be made to the viewing approval party; said viewing approval apparatus further includes an approval party status notification section configured to determine the approval party status based on a current location of said viewing approval apparatus, and notify said content viewing apparatus of the approval party status; and the viewing approval requesting section of said content viewing apparatus decides whether or not to transmit the viewing approval request, based on the approval party status.