Patent ID: 8676594

Claim:
An information providing apparatus adapted for a system where a plurality of types of content having identical title information may be sold in a plurality of sales modes, comprising: a storing unit configured to store identification information on special content having identical title information but having different production details so that it is assumed that a standard of rating by a user is different; a rating acquisition unit configured to acquire, from a terminal of a user who purchased one of the plurality of types of content, a title ID identifying title information of the purchased content, a sales unit ID identifying production details of the purchased content, and a rating for the purchased content; a rating collection unit configured to determine, by collecting users' rating acquired with the same title ID, the degree of rating for the plurality of types based on the title information, if the plurality of types of content are not special content, and, to determine, by collecting users' rating acquired with the same sales unit ID, the degree of rating for the plurality of types of content based on the production details, if the plurality of types of content are special content; and a rating information providing unit configured to provide, to an external apparatus, the degree of the user's rating for the plurality of types of content based on the title information, if the plurality of types of content are not special content, and to provide, to an external apparatus, the degree of the user's rating for the plurality of types of content based on the production details, if the plurality of types of content are special content.