Patent ID: 7036150

Claim:
A data management apparatus for registering usage data, in response to a data registration request, which includes the usage data to be used, from a usage data provider at the time of a usage data provision request to the usage data provider from a user, and for providing, in response to a data usage request from the user, the usage data regarding the data usage request, comprising: a registration device that registers the usage data in a storage device; and a providing device that provides the usage data in said storage device; such that, when the data registration request is received, said registration device registers the usage data included in the received data registration request in said storage device, in association with authentication information for authenticating whether or not a user is eligible to use the usage data, and said registration device transmits usage certificate data which includes the authentication information; and when the data usage request which includes the authentication information is received, and when the authentication information in said storage device which corresponds to the usage data regarding the received data usage request and the authentication information included in the received data usage request satisfy a predetermined relationship, said providing device transmits the usage data in said storage device regarding the received data usage request.