JP2001325181A - Contents distribution system, contents transmission method reception method and recording medium with contents reception program recorded therein - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a contents distribution system where the wrong copy or wrong secondary use of contents is prevented. SOLUTION: When the digital contents are transmitted to an accounting GW 4, the GW 4 compares the user names and chargeable passwords acquired in its hitherto processes with those of a WWW browser 10. When these compared user names and passwords are different from each other, a contents wrong use prevention program is embedded in the digital contents in the form of an electronic watermark to break the digital contents. The electronic watermark is transmitted to the browser 10. Acquiring the digital contents including the electronic watermark, the browser 10 can use the digital contents when the received user names and passwords are equal to those of the browser 10.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a content server that sells digital content on the Internet,
At least one user terminal used by a user who purchases digital content, and a fee that can be connected to the Internet, and that charges for the purchase of digital content and collects it together with telephone charges for general telephones owned by the user. The present invention relates to a content distribution system having a collection agency server.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in the sale of digital content on the Internet, as a measure to prevent unauthorized copying and unauthorized secondary use, digital content is sneak in with identification information such as a digital watermark to sell digital content. It has been common practice for a copyright holder or copyright owner to visually check on printed matter or on the Internet and compare with the original work to find an illegal copy or an illegal secondary use.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional content distribution system.

[0004] Connected to the Internet 6 are content servers 2 and 3 for selling digital contents on the Internet 6 and WWW browsers 9 and 10 used by users who browse and sometimes purchase digital contents. A content server 1 that sells digital contents on the Internet 6 is connected to the new Videotex communication network 5, and also calculates an information processing fee in the new Videotex communication network 5 and performs a billing process. Is an information fee charging gateway (hereinafter referred to as a charging GW).
4 '). WWW browser 8 used by users who browse or purchase digital contents
Can access the new Videotex communication network 5 via the telephone network (or ISDN) 7. The content servers 1, 2, and 3 are storage media for storing digital content (hard disk, CD-ROM, MO, DVD, etc.)
And a processing device for performing processing such as transmission.

[0005] Here, the WWW browser and the accounting GW are examples of a user terminal and an accounting means, respectively.

FIG. 5 shows a WWW browser 10 and a billing GW.
4 'shows a signal sequence between the content providers 2.

[0007] The user accesses the content server 2 from the WWW browser 10, decides to purchase a specific digital content through various selection processes, and gives an instruction (clicks a purchase button) (step 11). In response to this, the content server 2 sets the purchase button to the charging GW
GW 4 'that detects that the purchase is made using 4'
Is returned to the user's WWW browser 10 (step 12). The user makes a request for digital content from the WWW browser 10 (step 13) (authentication of the request).
The orization header contains the user name and paid password.) The accounting GW 4 'authenticates a user name (user ID) and a pay password. If this authentication is normally performed, the accounting GW 4 'transmits a user name notification confirmation screen for confirming whether or not to acknowledge the notification of the user name to the content server 2 to the WWW browser 10 (step 14). .
If the user accepts this, the WWW browser 10 transmits a user name notification confirmation screen response to the accounting GW 4 '(step 15). However, if the user name notification confirmation screen response is returned after the response monitoring time of the charging GW 4 'has passed, the charging GW 4' performs the processing after step 14 again. If the user name notification confirmation screen transmitted in step 14 is not accepted, there is no need to transmit the user name notification confirmation screen response.

[0008] The billing GW 4 'requests the billing amount for the requested digital content from the content server 2 (step 16). The content server 2 charges the billing amount and the like to the GW
4 '(step 17). The charging GW 4 'checks whether the total charging amount does not exceed the upper limit of the available amount, and if the total amount does not exceed the upper limit of the available amount, whether to approve the charging amount to the WWW browser 10. A charge amount confirmation screen is transmitted as to whether or not the charge amount has been checked (step 18).
When the user approves the charge amount notified in step 18, the WWW browser 10 transmits a charge amount confirmation screen response to the charge GW 4 '(step 19). However, if the charge amount confirmation screen response is returned after the response monitoring time of the charge GW 4 ', the charge GW 4' performs the process of step 14 again. If the charge amount notified in step 18 is not accepted, there is no need to transmit a charge amount confirmation screen response. The charging GW 4 'requests the digital content requested in step 13 from the content server 2 (step 20). The content server 2 transmits the digital content to the accounting GW 4 '(step 11). The accounting GW 4 'transmits the digital content to the WWW browser 10 (step 22). Billing GW 4 '
Performs a charging process when transmission of the digital content as pay information to the WWW browser 10 is completed.

[0009]

However, the conventional content distribution system described above has a problem that it is not effective for illegal copying performed off-line without going through a network. In other words, no matter how perfect content identification information is added, illegally copied content is rarely discovered by content sellers or copyright holders, no matter how perfect content identification information is added. there were.

[0010] An object of the present invention is to provide a content distribution system, a content receiving method, a content transmitting method, and a method for preventing unauthorized copying and unauthorized secondary use of digital content.
And a recording medium on which a content receiving program is recorded.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention utilizes a method in which a payment collection server for digital content sales acquires a user ID when it is accessed by a user. A content improper use prevention program including user identification information in addition to the content identification information added to the digital content sent from the content server is added by the payment surrogate collection server. When the digital content is used on the user terminal, the content fraud prevention program automatically runs, compares the user ID of the user terminal with the user identification information held by the user, and when the two do not match. In order to prevent illegal copying and unauthorized secondary use of digital content, the digital content is destroyed.

[0012]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a content distribution system according to one embodiment of the present invention. 4 is different from the conventional system shown in FIG. 4 in that a billing GW 4 serving as a payment collection server includes user identification information in addition to content identification information added to digital content transmitted from the content server 2. Automatically runs when the digital content is used on the WWW browser 10, and compares the user ID of the WWW browser 10 with the user identification information. If the two do not match, the digital content is destroyed. The difference is that the content unauthorized use prevention program is transmitted to the WWW browser 10.

FIG. 2 is a signal sequence diagram of the present embodiment.
Steps 11 to 21 are the same as the conventional example of FIG.
Only the step 23 is different. In step 23, when the digital content is transmitted to the charging GW 4, the charging G
W4 is the content that destroys the digital content if the user name and pay password obtained in the processing up to step 13 are different from the user name and pay password of the WWW browser 10 if they are different. An unauthorized use prevention program is embedded in digital content by a digital watermark and transmitted to the WWW browser 10.

Here, as an example of embedding a digital watermark,
The location of the program for comparing the WWW browser user name and the pay password and the program ID obtained by encoding the program name are inserted as digital watermarks into the digital content. The WWW browser 10, when the digital content is opened, before displaying the digital content,
The digital watermark inserted in the digital content is read, the location of the program is detected from the program ID, and the WWW browser user name and the pay password are transmitted to the program storage server (for example, the content server 2 storing the content). I do. Content server 2
Then, the user name and password are compared, and if they are different, an authentication failure message is sent to the WWW browser,
The WWW browser 10 displays an authentication failure and disables browsing of the digital content.

As means for preventing browsing, a content destroying program is simultaneously transmitted from the server together with an authentication failure message, the transmitted program is automatically started, and the bits of the digital content are changed to destroy the content. . Alternatively, the program itself for comparing the digital content WWW browser user name with the pay password is inserted as an electronic watermark.
When the content is opened in the WWW browser 10, the content is compared with a user name and a password. If the content is correct, the content behaves as normal data. If the content is different, the bit of the content data is replaced. By doing so, the WWW browser behaves so as to be played back as a noisy content.

An electronic watermark is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-6601.
0 The digital watermarking technology in “Digital Watermark System, Electronic Information Distribution System and Image File Device” can be used. The WWW browser 10 that has acquired the digital content including the digital watermark as described above can use the digital content if the transmitted user name and pay password are the same as those of the WWW browser 10.

However, if the digital content is stolen by another person or illegally copied off-line while the digital content is being sent, the digital content is destroyed, the digital content cannot be normally acquired, and the illegal use of the pay information can be prevented.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the WWW browser 10. The input device 31 is a keyboard or the like. The communication device 32 is for communicating with the content server 2 and the accounting GW 4. The storage device 33 is a hard disk. The display device 34 is a display such as a CRT and a liquid crystal. The recording medium 35 is a recording medium such as a floppy disk, a CD-ROM, a magneto-optical disk, etc., on which a content receiving program formed by the processing of the WWW browser 10 shown in FIG. 2 is recorded. The data processing device 36 includes a CPU, an interface, and the like, and reads and executes a content receiving program from the recording medium 35.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Including the user name and pay password of the payment agent collection server, compare these user names and pay passwords with the user name and pay password of the user terminal. By transmitting the digital contents to the user terminal, there is an effect of preventing illegal copying of paid digital contents.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a content distribution system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram of the embodiment of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a WWW browser 10;

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a conventional example of a content distribution system.

FIG. 5 is a sequence diagram of the conventional example of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 2, 3 Content server 4 Billing GW (charge collection agency server) 5 New Videotex communication network 6 Internet 7 Telephone network 8, 9, 10 WWW browser (user terminal) 11-23 Step 31 Input device 32 Communication device 33 Storage device 34 Display device 35 Recording medium 36 Data processing device

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Kenji Fujimoto 2-3-1 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo F-term within Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (reference) 5C064 BA01 BB01 BB02 BC01 BC06 BC11 BD05 BD08 BD09 BD14 5K025 BB10 EE18 JJ02 JJ10 JJ18

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A content server that sells digital content on the Internet, at least one user terminal used by a user who purchases digital content, and can be connected to the Internet, and is charged when purchasing digital content. In a content distribution system having a proxy collection server that collects along with the telephone charge of a general telephone owned by the user, the proxy server is added to the digital content when the digital content is acquired from the content server. Contains the user identification information in addition to the content identification information, and automatically runs when the digital content is used on the user terminal, and compares the user ID of the user terminal with the user identification information. If they do not match, the digital Content distribution system and transmitting the content illegal use prevention programs to destroy Ntsu to the user terminal together with the digital content. 2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the payment collection agency server embeds the content unauthorized use prevention program in digital content with a digital watermark. 3. A charge collection agency, in which a user terminal charges a fee from a content server that sells digital content on the Internet when purchasing the digital content, and collects the charge together with a telephone charge of a general telephone owned by the user. What is claimed is: 1. A content receiving method for receiving digital content via a server, comprising the steps of: instructing the content server to purchase digital content; receiving an address of the payment collection server from the content server; Requesting a digital content including a user name and a pay password to the collection agent server; and a user name notification confirmation screen for confirming whether or not to acknowledge the notification of the user name to the content server. Receiving from the payment collection server; Transmitting a user name notification confirmation screen response for approving the notification of the user name to the charge collection proxy server, and determining whether to approve the billing amount for the requested digital content from the charge collection proxy server. Receiving a billing amount confirmation screen for confirming whether or not the billing amount has been notified on the billing amount confirmation screen; and transmitting a billing amount confirmation screen response to the billing surrogate server for accepting the billing amount notified on the billing amount confirmation screen. The server includes user identification information in addition to the content identification information transmitted after acquiring the digital content from the content server, and automatically runs when the digital content is used on the user terminal. The user ID of the user terminal is compared with the user identification information, and if the two do not match, the digital content is destroyed. Content receiving method having a use prevention program and receiving together with the digital content. 4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the content fraudulent use program is embedded in digital content with a digital watermark. 5. It is possible to connect to the Internet from a contents server that sells digital contents on the Internet, and to charge for the purchase of the digital contents, and collect the charges together with telephone charges of general telephones owned by the user. A content transmission method for transmitting digital content to a user terminal of a user who wants to purchase digital content via a payment collection server, wherein the content request including a user name and a pay password is transmitted from the user terminal. Receiving the user name and the pay password, and, when the authentication is normally performed, a user name notification for confirming whether to acknowledge the notification of the user name to the content server. Transmitting a confirmation screen to the user terminal; and from the user terminal, the user Receiving a user name notification confirmation screen response that acknowledges the name notification; requesting the charged amount of the requested content from the content server; receiving the charged amount from the content server; Check that the maximum available amount has not been exceeded,
If the upper limit is not exceeded, transmitting a charge amount confirmation screen to the user terminal for confirming whether or not to accept the charge amount to the user terminal; Receiving a charge amount confirmation screen response that acknowledges the charge amount from the user terminal, requesting the requested digital content from the content server, receiving the digital content requested from the content server, The digital content includes user identification information of the user in addition to the identification information, and automatically runs when the digital content is used on the user terminal, and a user ID of the user terminal and the user identification information And a content unauthorized use prevention program that destroys the digital content if the two do not match. Content transmission method comprising the step of transmitting to the user terminal together with Ntsu. 6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the content unauthorized use prevention program is embedded in digital content with a digital watermark. 7. A user terminal can connect to the Internet from a content server that sells digital content on the Internet, and charges for the purchase of the digital content on behalf of a general telephone owned by the user. A content receiving program for receiving digital content desired to be purchased through a payment collection server that collects together with a telephone charge, comprising the steps of: instructing the content server to purchase digital content; and Accepting the address of the charge collection server, requesting the collection server for digital content including a user name and a pay password, and approving the content server of the notification of the user name. User name notification confirmation screen to confirm whether to do Receiving the user name notification confirmation screen response that acknowledges the notification of the user name to the payment collection proxy server; andfrom the payment collection proxy server, Receiving a charge amount confirmation screen for confirming whether or not to accept the charge amount of the requested digital content; and collecting the charge amount confirmation screen response for accepting the charge amount notified on the charge amount confirmation screen. Transmitting to the proxy server, the fee collection proxy server includes user identification information in addition to the content identification information transmitted after acquiring the digital content from the content server, and the digital content is stored on the user terminal. The vehicle automatically travels when used, and compares the user ID of the user terminal with the user identification information. A recording medium on which a content receiving program for causing a computer to execute a procedure for receiving a content use prevention program for destroying digital content together with the digital content is recorded. 8. The recording medium according to claim 7, wherein said program for preventing unauthorized use of content is embedded in digital content with a digital watermark.