Content usage management system and method, and program providing medium therefor

A content usage-fee management method for performing transaction processing of content which is usable by a user device, said content usage-fee management method comprising the steps of:

• receiving, by a service provider for managing a service for the provision of the content, a usage log from said user device, said usage log being created by said user device and including log information containing data of a content usage fee;
• and
• determining by said service provider whether the use of the content is allowed by comparing the content usage fee with a predetermined threshold value.

A program providing medium for providing a computer program which allows content usage-fee management processing for use in transaction processing of content usable by a user device to run on a computer system, said computer program comprising:

• a step of receiving a usage log from said user device, said usage log being created by said user device and including log information containing data of a content usage fee;
• and
• a step of determining whether the use of the content is allowed by comparing the content usage fee with a predetermined threshold value.

A content usage management system for performing transaction processing of content which is usable by a user device, said content usage management system comprising a clearing center for managing settlement of a content usage fee paid by electronic money of a user, and for sending to said user device an issue log in which an effective period for the payment of the content usage fee by said user device by the electronic money is set, wherein the payment of the content usage fee by said user device is settled only when it is made within the effective period set in said issue log.

A content usage management method for performing transaction processing of content which is usable by a user device, said content usage management method comprising the steps of:

• sending from a clearing center which manages settlement of a content usage fee paid by electronic money of a user to said user device an issue log in which an effective period for the payment of the content usage fee by said user device by the electronic money is set;
• and
• settling the payment of the content usage fee paid by said user device only when it is made within the effective period set in said issue log.

A program providing medium for providing a computer program which allows content usage management processing for use in transaction processing of content usable by a user device to run on a computer system, said computer program comprising:

• a sending step of sending an issue log in which an effective period is set to said user device;
• and
• a settlement step of settling the payment of a content usage fee by using electronic money by said user device only when it is made within the effective period set in said issue log.