Online distribution system and method

An online distribution system, comprising:

• a search server;
• a data distribution server;
• and
• a personal terminal connected to said data distribution server through said search server;
• said search server including a database for storing a plurality of titles of distribution information, title search means for searching the titles stored in said database for a title designated for subscription from said personal terminal, and subscription information storage means for storing the title searched out by said title search means;
• said data distribution server including distribution information storage means for storing the distribution information, title acquisition means for acquiring the title stored in said subscription information storage means of said search server, distribution information readout means for reading out the distribution information corresponding to the title acquired by said title acquisition means from said distribution information storage means, and transmission means for transmitting the distribution information read out by said distribution information readout means to said personal terminal.

An online distribution method for an online distribution system wherein a download terminal is connected to a search server through a data distribution server and said search server is connectable to a personal terminal, comprising:

• the steps performed by said search server of storing a plurality of titles of distribution information into a database of said search server, searching the titles stored in said database for a title designated for subscription from said personal terminal, and storing the searched out title and identification information transmitted from said personal terminal as subscription information;
• the step performed by said data distribution server of storing the distribution information into distribution information storage means;
• and
• the steps performed by said download terminal acquiring identification information inputted from the outside, reading out, based on the acquired identification information, that one of the titles which corresponds to the identification information stored as the subscription information in said search server, reading out the distribution information corresponding to the read out title from said distribution information storage means of said data distribution server, and recording the read out distribution information onto a recording medium.