JP2003091685A - Content sale system, content sale device for use in the same, and content sale method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a user to purchase various contents by a simple accounting system without personal authentication and personal information. SOLUTION: A DVD-R 5a holds two IDs, or a media ID related to information on purchasable contents and an accounting ID related to accounting information on purchase of the contents. A computer 4 along with the media ID and accounting ID of the DVD-R 5a requests content purchase from a server 1. According to the content purchase request from the computer 4, the server 1 searches a database in an authentication and accounting server 3 to authenticate the content purchase request. The server 1 then records accounting information on the contents sold by a content server 2 according to the authenticated content purchase request, in the database in the authentication and accounting server 3 according to the accounting ID following the content purchase request.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a content selling system which allows a user to purchase various contents through a communication line, a content selling apparatus used for the system, and a content selling method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, broadband has been advocated, and an always-connected service line capable of high-speed communication of a large amount of data is becoming widespread in general households. In recent years, electronic commerce has been performed via the Internet.
Content such as music data and movie data according to e) is sold.

Hereinafter, a conventional process of selling and buying contents by credit settlement will be described with reference to FIG. (1) First, the individual user performs an enrollment procedure for the credit company 51 in order to obtain a credit card (credit number). (2) Next, the individual user purchases a blank medium 52 for recording and storing contents such as music data and movie data from a mass retailer or the like. (3) The individual user uses the server 53 of the Internet service provider (hereinafter referred to as “ISP”) or other content management company (hereinafter collectively referred to as “content management company”) that provides content. A user's personal computer (hereinafter, referred to as “user PC”) 54 connects to make a content download request. In response to this request, the server 53 of the contents management company requests the user PC 54 to input the credit number and personal information, and checks the validity of the credit number. (4) If the credit number is valid, the server 53 of the content management company instructs the download server 55 to authenticate OK. (5) The individual user downloads using the user PC 54 according to the download procedure of the download server 55. (6) Since the individual user performs credit card payment as a compensation for the download, it is necessary to hold the deposit or the balance in the registered bank / financial institution 56. (7) The server 53 of the content management company issues a payment collection instruction based on the credit number of the individual user who downloaded the content. (8) The credit company 51 instructs the bank / financial institution 56 to collect the money. (9) The bank / financial institution 56 pays the price to the credit company 51. (10) The credit company 51 pays the price to the content management company.

[0004]

Credit settlement is performed according to the above flow. However, in steps (7) to (10), a fee is charged for each instruction and collection, so contents including the fee are charged. Individual users will purchase. Therefore, it is the current situation that individual users do not have the reasonable price, despite the purchase of contents via the Internet.

Credit companies and banks / financial institutions need to hold enormous amounts of personal information.
Although it has become more and more fine automation, it is a fact that maintenance and operation of this personal information entails enormous management costs. On the other hand, even for individual users, complicated procedures and self-pay costs for credit companies, banks and financial institutions occur.

In addition, not everyone can join the credit card, and it is necessary to pass the entrance examination. Therefore, people who cannot pass the entrance examination cannot receive credit payment. In addition, some credit companies require annual membership fees, which is a factor that puts a burden on individual users without having to use a credit card just by joining.

Therefore, in the present invention, there is provided a content selling system which enables a user to purchase various contents by a simple charging system without requiring personal authentication or personal information, and a content selling apparatus and a content selling method used for the content selling system. provide.

[0008]

According to the present invention, there is provided a content sales system in which a server for charging a content purchased by a user, a computer connected to the server via a communication line, and information readable by the computer. The recording medium comprises a recording medium, and the recording medium holds a media ID associated with information regarding purchaseable content and a billing ID associated with billing information for purchasing the content, and the computer stores the media ID of the recording medium. And a means for requesting the server to purchase contents together with the billing ID, and the server is supplied with a database for storing information on contents that can be purchased for the media ID and billing information for the billing ID, and a recording medium. ID and billing ID from the computer Means for searching the database based on the accompanying content purchase request and authenticating the content purchase request, and charging information for the content sold based on the authenticated content purchase request, based on the charging ID accompanying the content purchase request. And means for recording in a database.

According to the present invention, the user can
Also, a recording medium holding the billing ID is supplied to the computer, the computer connects to the server via a communication line, and a content purchase request is made, whereby the server performs authentication based on the media ID and the billing ID. The user can acquire the content, and the content providing company can charge for the provision of the content based on the charging ID. That is, according to the present invention, the user can acquire the content and settle the price only by acquiring the recording medium holding the media ID and the billing ID, and personal authentication and personal information at this time are unnecessary. Become.

Here, the content according to the present invention refers to all products and services that can be provided to a user who has requested a purchase via a communication line. The merchandise that can be provided is movies, animations, music, computer-readable data such as games and software, and articles such as furniture, clothes and foods. It should be noted that these contents that can be purchased by the user are stored as catalog data on a recording medium that holds the media ID and billing ID supplied to the user's computer or on the server, so that the user can store the catalog data. It becomes possible to refer to and consider purchasing the content.

As the distribution form of these, as for the data, the data is downloaded by a communication line such as the Internet, a private line or a public line, a hard disk,
Examples include physical distribution recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), a flexible disk, or a magneto-optical disk. Examples of goods include mail and home delivery.

[0012] When downloading data through a communication line, the content sales system of the present invention further includes a means for the server to provide the content to the computer based on the authenticated content purchase request. It is desirable to have means for acquiring the content provided from the server based on the content request. As a result, when the user makes a content purchase request, the target content is downloaded from the server to the computer, and the user can easily acquire the content.

Here, as the recording medium according to the present invention,
Read-only DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Di
sk Read Only Memory), CD-ROM, DVD-R (Digital Versatile Disk Recordabl) that can be written only once
e), CD-R (Compact Disk Recordable), writable / erasable DVD-RAM (Digital VersatileDis)
k Random Access Memory), CD-RW (Compact Disk)
ReWritable), a semiconductor memory, or the like can be used, but a recording medium such as a DVD-R, a CD-R, or a recording medium in which information can be written in order to record the acquired content,
It is desirable to use a DVD-RAM, a CD-RW or a semiconductor memory.

The content selling apparatus used in the content selling system of the present invention described above is a media ID associated with information about purchaseable content and a billing ID associated with billing information for purchasing the content.
A content sales device connected to a computer supplied with a recording medium for storing the contents of the media via a communication line and performing a charging process for the contents purchased by the user of the computer. A database for storing information and billing information for the billing ID; a means for searching the database based on the content purchase request accompanied by the media ID and the billing ID from the computer supplied with the recording medium and authenticating the content purchase request; And recording the charging information for the content sold based on the content purchase request in the database based on the charging ID involved in the content purchase request.

Further, the content sales device of the present invention is
If a means for providing content to the computer based on the authenticated content purchase request is provided, it becomes possible for the user to provide the content to the computer that has requested the content purchase via the communication line. .

Further, the content selling method of the present invention comprises a server for charging the content purchased by the user, a computer connected to the server through a communication line, and a recording medium from which information can be read by the computer. A method of selling contents, comprising recording in advance a media ID associated with information about purchasable contents and a billing ID associated with billing information for purchasing the content on a recording medium, and purchasing the media ID. Recording information about possible contents and billing information for a billing ID in a database, the computer storing the medium I of the recording medium.
Requesting the server to purchase the content with D and the billing ID, the server searching the database based on the content purchase request from the computer with the media ID and the billing ID, and authenticating the content purchase request; The step of recording the billing information for the content sold based on the authenticated content purchase request in the database based on the billing ID involved in the content purchase request. As a result, the user can acquire the content and settle the price only by acquiring the recording medium holding the media ID and the billing ID.

Further, the content selling method of the present invention comprises a server for charging the content purchased by the user, a computer connected to the server via a communication line, and a recording medium from which information can be read by the computer. A method of selling contents, comprising recording in advance a media ID associated with information about purchasable contents and a billing ID associated with billing information for purchasing the content on a recording medium, and purchasing the media ID. Recording information about possible contents and billing information for a billing ID in a database, the computer storing the medium I of the recording medium.
Requesting the server to purchase the content with D and the billing ID, the server searching the database based on the content purchase request from the computer with the media ID and the billing ID, and authenticating the content purchase request; And a step of providing the content to the computer based on the authenticated content purchase request, and a step of causing the server to record the charging information for the provided content in the database based on the charging ID involved in the content purchase request. . As a result, the user can check the media ID and the charge I
The content can be acquired through the communication line and the price can be settled only by obtaining the recording medium holding D.

Further, in the content selling method of the present invention, the computer includes a step of recording the content acquired from the server in a recording medium,
The content acquired by the computer supplied with the recording medium holding the media ID and the billing ID is recorded in this recording medium, and the user can easily carry the recording medium and use the content anywhere.

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a content sales system according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the content sales system of FIG.

In FIG. 1, the content sales system according to the present embodiment has an operation server 1 installed in a content operation company, a content server 2 which provides contents in accordance with an instruction from the operation server 1, and an authentication in accordance with an instruction from the operation server 1. And an authentication / charging server 3 for charging,
It is composed of a PC 4 as a computer used by a user and a DVD-R 5a as a recording medium which is supplied to the PC 4 and is capable of reading and writing information. The operation server 1, the content server 2, the authentication / billing server 3 and the PC 4 are connected to each other via the Internet 6 as a communication line.

As shown in FIG. 2, the DVD-R5a includes
It holds two IDs, a media ID 21 associated with information about purchasable contents and a billing ID 22 associated with billing information for purchasing contents. The media ID 21 and the billing ID 22 are IDs assigned by the content management company, and D
The VD-R5a is distributed to the user in the state of being attached. The DVD-R 5a also has a content recording area 23 for recording the content acquired from the content server 2.
Have.

The operation server 1 has a receiving means 11 for receiving a content purchase request from the PC 4 connected via the Internet 6. Upon receiving a content purchase request accompanied by the media ID 21 and the billing ID 22 from the PC 4, the accepting means 11 confirms the authentication and billing server 3 and, after the confirmation of the certification, sends the contents server 2 the content to the PC 4. Allow the offer.

The content server 2 executes P based on the content purchase request authenticated by the authentication / billing server 3.
It has a content providing means 12 for providing content to C4. That is, the content providing unit 12 provides the content permitted by the operation server 1 to the PC 4 via the Internet 6. In the present embodiment, the content provided by the content providing unit 12 to the PC 4 is music data that can be reproduced by the PC 4.

The authentication / billing server 3 stores a database (hereinafter, referred to as “DB”) 13, which stores information about contents that can be purchased for the media ID 21 assigned to the DVD-R 5a and billing information for the billing ID 22,
An authentication unit 14 that authenticates an authentication confirmation request from the operation server 1, and an accounting information recording unit 1 that records the accounting information for the content purchased by the user in the DB 13 based on the accounting ID accompanying the content purchase request.
Have 5.

The information about the content stored in the DB 13 is the information indicating the category of the content assigned to the media ID, that is, the category of the content that can be purchased using each media ID. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of this category classification. As shown in FIG. 3, the media ID is, for example, Company A → Music → Western music → Rock → wo
It is assumed that a classification having a hierarchy such as man → singer A can be expressed. Further, it is possible to configure an ID so that song names and the like can be finely classified as a layer next to finger A.

The billing information stored in the DB 13 relates to the billing frequency corresponding to the price for purchasing the content. In the DB 13, the charging degree assigned by the user according to the purchase amount of the DVD-R 5a is stored in the DVD-
It is stored in association with the billing ID held in R5a.
The billing ID is similar to the ID used for prepaid cards and the like, and is an ID for managing the billing frequency. The media ID 21 is recorded in the DVD-R 5a, but the billing ID 22 is recorded in the DVD-R 5a as shown in FIG.
It is managed separately from the media ID 21 such as by being attached to the package 7 and the security against unauthorized use is taken into consideration.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing information associated with the media ID and billing ID stored in the DB 13. As shown in FIG. 5, in the DB 13, in association with the media ID and the billing ID, the current billing degree (remaining number) as the billing information, the billing degree usage history (the usage number at this time), and the billing rate for purchasing the content The IP address, update date and time, update time, etc. of the update request are recorded. The IP address, the update date and time, and the update time of the update request are used for checking the user's content purchase history and recovering from the occurrence of a system failure.

The authentication means 14 searches the DB 13 for the authentication confirmation request from the operation server 1 and authenticates the content purchase request. That is, the authenticating means 14 uses the DV
The DB 13 is searched based on the content request accompanied by the media ID and the billing ID from the PC 4 to which the D-R 5a is supplied, and the content of the category that can be acquired by the PC 4 is specified by this media ID, and the billing I
The remaining number of billing frequencies for D is confirmed.

The billing information recording means 15 records the billing information for the contents provided to the PC 4 by the contents server 2 in the DB 13 based on the billing ID involved in the contents purchase request. Content providing means 12
When the content is provided to the PC 4 by the user, the content server 2 is always notified from the content server 2 to the authentication / billing server 3, and the billing information recording means 15 is metered according to the notified content provision state. Record billing information.

The PC 4 has a DVD purchased by the user in advance.
-Supply R5a. PC4 is this supplied DVD
-Content requesting means 16 for requesting the content purchase from the operation server 1 with the media ID and billing ID read from R5a, content acquiring means 17 for acquiring the content provided from the content server 2 based on the content request, and It has a content recording means 18 for recording the acquired content on the DVD-R 5a.

The content selling system having the above configuration will be described below with reference to the process diagram of content selling by the content selling system of the present embodiment shown in FIG.

(1) First, an individual user can make a D
Purchase blank media with ID such as VD-R5a, CD-R5b, memory stick (product name) 5c as semiconductor memory, smart media (product name) 5d and IC card 5e. Here, the ID-equipped blank medium is a generic term for a storage medium that holds a media ID and a billing ID and that can read and write information and that has a so-called read / write function and is easy to carry. In the following, a DVD-R 5a will be described as an example of a blank medium with an ID.

In the DVD-R5a, I
D has already been assigned, and this ID is the media ID 21
To use as. Further, the billing ID 22 is separately given and attached to a package or the like. These media ID2
1 and the billing ID 22 are recorded in the DB 13 of the billing / authentication server 3 when the DVD-R 5a is manufactured. In addition, at this time, the information regarding the content that the user can acquire by the media ID 21 and the balance frequency of the content that the user can purchase by the charging ID 22 are displayed in DB1
Record in 3. By purchasing the blank medium with ID (DVD-R5a), the user can simultaneously perform the right to record his / her favorite content on the blank medium with ID and payment.

(2) The user can purchase the purchased DVD-R5a.
Is supplied to the PC4, and the Internet
To the operation server 1 of the content operation company. At this time, the PC 4 requests the operation server 1 to download the content with the media ID 21 and the billing ID 22 by the content requesting means 16.

(3) The operation server 1 receives the content request from the PC 4 by the accepting means 11, and receives the content request from the PC 4
The authentication / billing server 3 is verified based on the media ID 21 and the billing ID 22 notified by.

(4) The authentication / billing server 3 has the authentication means 1
4, the DB 13 is searched, the content that can be downloaded by the media ID 21 and the remaining number of billing frequencies that can be purchased by the billing ID 22 are confirmed, and whether or not the content can be downloaded is notified to the operation server 1.

(5) The accepting means 11 of the operation server 1 notifies the content server 2 of whether or not the download notified by the authentication / billing server 3 is possible.

(6) The content server 2 provides the content to the PC 4 via the Internet 6 based on the download availability notified by the operation server 1 by the content providing means 12. The PC 4 downloads the content provided by the content server 2 by the content acquisition means 17, and the downloaded content by the content recording means 18 on the DVD-R.
The content is recorded in the content recording area 23 of 5a.

(7) The content server 2, when the content providing means 12 provides the content to the PC 4,
The authentication / billing server 3 is notified of download progress information at any time. Billing information recording means 1 of billing / authentication server 3
5 records the charging information in the DB 13 in association with the charging ID 22 based on the notified download progress status information.

(8) The billing / authentication server 3 totals the pay-as-you-go billing information of the content management company based on the billing information recorded in the DB 13 for each fixed settlement period, and stores it in the blank media with ID (DVD-R5a). Notify the wholesaler. (9) The wholesaler of the ID-equipped blank media collects the price of the ID-equipped blank media from a mass retailer or the like. (10) The wholesaler of the ID-equipped blank media pays the content management company based on the pay-as-you-go billing information notified in (8).

As described above, in the content sales system of this embodiment, the blank media with ID (DV
D-R5a) downloads (acquires) content and pays for it based on only the media ID 21 and billing ID 22 held in D-R5a), so registration and authentication of personal information is not required, and leakage or theft of personal information is required. There is no anxiety. Further, the user can obtain the paid content provided via the Internet 6 by only buying the ID-equipped blank medium, and record and use the pay-content on the ID-equipped blank medium, so that it is easy to understand the mechanism and feel secure. Content can be purchased.

Further, since the user has already paid the content purchase price when the blank media with ID is purchased, there is no need to pay the content at a later date. Therefore, the content management company has extremely few omissions in collecting the content price. In addition, when a copy protection medium is used as the ID-added blank medium, it also leads to great protection of rights such as copyright and portrait right.

In the present embodiment, an example in which the operation server 1, the content server 2, and the authentication / billing server 3 are configured as separate devices has been described, but these are configured as a content sales device. It is also possible to configure it as a plurality of devices.

In this embodiment, the media I
Although D is recorded in the DVD-R 5a and the billing ID is attached to the package, the configuration may be reversed.
Both IDs can be recorded on the DVD-R5a, or both IDs can be recorded.
It is also possible to attach D to the package.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 7 is a process diagram of content sales by the content sales system of the second embodiment of the present invention. The content selling system according to the second embodiment sells articles (products) such as furniture, clothes, and foods as user-purchasable contents. Second
The content sales system in the embodiment has substantially the same configuration as the configuration shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 described in the first embodiment, but purchases the content authenticated by the authentication / billing server 3 instead of the content server 2. A shipping server 8 for carrying out procedures such as shipping products to a destination specified by the user or the user of the PC 4 based on the request.
Equipped with.

The content selling procedure by the content selling system having such a configuration is as follows. (1) First of all, the individual user can purchase a DVD-ROM at a mass retailer.
9a, a CD-ROM 9b, a memory stick 9c, a smart media 9d, an IC card 9e, and a prepaid card (ROM telephone card) 9f usable by a public telephone, etc. are purchased. In addition to the above-mentioned media ID and billing ID, the ID-added media includes
It is assumed that catalog data of a product that the user can request to purchase from the operation server 1 by the PC 4 is recorded.

(2) The user supplies the purchased ID-added medium to the PC 4, determines the product to be purchased by referring to the catalog data of the ID-added medium, and then the PC 4
Thus, the connection is made to the operation server 1 of the content operation company via the Internet 6. Then, the user requests the operation server 1 to purchase the product with the media ID 21 and the billing ID 22 by the content requesting means 16 of the PC 4.

(3) The operation server 1 receives the product purchase request from the PC 4 by the accepting means 11, and performs the authentication confirmation based on the media ID 21 and the charging ID 22 notified by the PC 4 to the authentication / charging server 3. .

(4) The authentication / billing server 3 uses the authentication means 1
4, the DB 13 is searched, and the product that can be purchased by the media ID 21 and the remaining number of billing frequencies that can be purchased by the billing ID 22 are confirmed, and whether the product can be purchased is notified to the operation server 1.

(5) The acceptance means 11 of the operation server 1 notifies the shipping server 8 of whether or not the product purchase notified by the authentication / billing server 3 can be purchased.

(6) The shipping server 8 carries out a product shipping procedure to the user of the PC 4 or to the destination specified by the user of the PC 4 based on the availability of shipping of the product notified by the operation server 1. As a result, the product is delivered to the user or the like by physical distribution means such as mail or home delivery.

(7) The shipping server 8 notifies the authentication / charging server 3 of the information about the shipping status of the product at any time in accordance with the product shipping procedure. The billing information recording means 15 of the billing / authentication server 3 records the product price information as billing information in the DB 13 in association with the billing ID 22 based on the notified product shipping status information.

(8) The billing / authentication server 3 totals the prices for the products purchased by the user based on the billing information recorded in the DB 13, and the ID-added medium (DVD-R5a).
Notify the wholesaler of (9) The wholesaler of the ID-added media collects the price of the ID-added media from a mass retailer or the like. (10) The wholesaler of the ID-added medium pays the product price to the content management company based on the charging information notified in (8).

As described above, also in the content sales system according to the second embodiment, since the product is sold and the price is settled based on only the media ID 21 and the billing ID 22 held in the ID-added medium, the personal information is stored. No registration or personal authentication is required, and there is no concern about leakage or theft of personal information.

Further, in the second embodiment, the budget of the product to be purchased by the user is determined in advance at the time of purchasing the ID-added medium. Therefore, the user has the purchased ID
Since it is possible to purchase only products for which catalog data is recorded on the attached media, it is possible to purchase products with peace of mind and not to worry about purchasing products that exceed the budget.

[0056]

According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) In response to a content purchase request by a computer supplied with a recording medium that holds a media ID associated with information about purchasable contents and a billing ID associated with billing information for purchasing the content. , Searching a database for storing information on content that can be purchased for media ID and billing information for billing ID, authenticating, and billing information for content sold based on the authenticated content purchase request, based on billing ID Depending on the configuration recorded in the database, the user can specify the media ID and billing ID.
Since the content can be purchased and the price can be settled simply by obtaining the recording medium holding the, a simpler charging system than the conventional complicated charging system, It is possible to reduce the price of sales contents as a whole by eliminating margins and the like. In addition, since personal authentication and personal information are not required when purchasing content, there is no need to worry about leakage or theft of personal information.

(2) Further, according to the configuration in which the content is provided to the computer based on the authenticated content purchase request, when the user requests the content purchase by the computer, the target content is downloaded to the computer. The user can easily purchase the content.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a content sales system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the content sales system of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of category classification of contents assigned to media IDs.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an appearance of a DVD-R package.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of information stored in a database.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a process of content sales by the content sales system of the first embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a process of selling content by the content selling system according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a conventional process of selling contents by credit payment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Operation server 2 Content server 3 Authentication / billing server 4 Personal computer (PC) 5a DVD-R 5b CD-R 5c Memory Stick 5d smart media 5e IC card 6 Internet 7 packages 8 shipping servers 9a DVD-ROM 9b CD-ROM 9c Memory Stick 9d smart media 9e IC card 9f Prepaid card (ROM telephone card) 11 Reception means 12 Content provision means 13 Database (DB) 14 Authentication means 15 Billing information recording means 16 Content Request Means 17 Content acquisition means 18 Content recording means 21 Media ID 22 Billing ID 23 Content recording area

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (71) Applicant 501301374             Wataru Kakihara             696-11 Haradamanda, Arao-shi, Kumamoto (72) Inventor Toshihisa Tsunoda             2-10-9-401 Kamezawa, Sumida-ku, Tokyo (72) Inventor Yukihide Imamura             2-33-5-605 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo (72) Inventor Akihiko Okamoto             1-5-7 Sasuke, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture (72) Inventor Wataru Kakihara             696-11 Haradamanda, Arao-shi, Kumamoto F-term (reference) 5C064 BA01 BA07 BB01 BC01 BC16                       BC18 BC23 BD02 BD08 BD09

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A server configured to perform a charging process for contents purchased by a user, a computer connected to the server via a communication line, and a recording medium from which information can be read by the computer. Holds a media ID associated with information about the content that can be purchased and a billing ID associated with billing information for purchasing the content, and the computer stores the media ID and the billing ID of the recording medium. A computer to which the recording medium is supplied, which has a means for requesting the server to purchase the content, the server storing a database for storing information on the content that can be purchased for the media ID and billing information for the billing ID; With media ID and billing ID from Means for authenticating the content purchase request by searching the database based on the content purchase request, and charging ID for the content purchase request, the charging information for the content sold based on the authenticated content purchase request. Content sales system having means for recording in the database based on the above. 2. The server further comprises means for providing content to the computer based on the authenticated content purchase request, wherein the computer provides content provided from the server based on the content request. The content sales system according to claim 1, further comprising means for acquiring. 3. A computer supplied with a recording medium that holds a media ID associated with information about purchasable contents and a billing ID associated with billing information for purchasing the contents is connected via a communication line. A content sales device for performing a charging process for contents purchased by a user of the computer, wherein a database storing information on contents that can be purchased for the media ID and charging information for the charging ID, and the recording medium Means for retrieving the database and authenticating the content purchase request based on the supplied content purchase request accompanied by the media ID and the billing ID from the computer, and charging information for the content sold based on the authenticated content purchase request In front Content sales apparatus and means for recording into the database based on the accounting ID, accompanied in the content purchase request. 4. The content selling apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising means for providing content to the computer based on the authenticated content purchase request. 5. A content selling method comprising: a server for charging a content purchased by a user; a computer connected to the server via a communication line; and a recording medium from which information can be read by the computer. In advance, a media ID associated with information about purchaseable content and a billing ID associated with billing information for purchase of the content are recorded in the recording medium, and the purchaseable content for the media ID is recorded. Recording information and billing information for the billing ID in a database; the computer requesting the server to purchase the content with the media ID and billing ID of the recording medium; Media ID and And authenticating the content purchase request based on the content purchase request accompanied by the content purchase request, the server purchasing the content purchase request with charging information for the content sold based on the authenticated content purchase request. A method for selling contents, which comprises the step of recording in the database based on the billing ID involved in the case. 6. A method of selling contents, comprising a server for charging a content purchased by a user, a computer connected to the server via a communication line, and a recording medium from which information can be read by the computer. In advance, a media ID associated with information about purchaseable content and a billing ID associated with billing information for purchase of the content are recorded in the recording medium, and the purchaseable content for the media ID is recorded. Recording information and billing information for the billing ID in a database; the computer requesting the server to purchase the content with the media ID and billing ID of the recording medium; Media ID and And authenticating the content purchase request by searching the database based on the content purchase request accompanied by a billing ID, the server providing content to the computer based on the authenticated content purchase request, the server And a step of recording the billing information for the provided content in the database based on the billing ID involved in the content purchase request. 7. The content trading method according to claim 6, including the step of causing the computer to record the content acquired from the server in the recording medium.