Rating information publishing system

A rating information publishing system comprising a rating browser device, a rating target device, and a rating performer device that are interconnected via a network;

• said rating performer device comprising;
• a rating mark database for managing rating marks;
• a unit for receiving a rating mark verification request from said rating browser device;
• and
• a unit for verifying the validity of a corresponding rating mark by referencing said rating mark database in response to said verification request, and sending the result to said rating browser device;
• said rating target device comprising;
• a Web page database for holding Web pages to which said rating mark is attached, said Web pages being accessible from said rating browser device;
• a unit for receiving an acquisition request for one of said rating-mark-attached Web pages from said rating browser device;
• and
• a unit for sending said rating-mark-attached Web page to said rating browser device by referencing said Web page database in response to said acquisition request;
• and
• said rating browser device comprising;
• a unit for sending an acquisition request for a rating-mark-attached Web page to said rating target device;
• a unit for receiving said rating-mark-attached Web page from said rating target device;
• a unit for verifying the validity of the rating mark included in said rating-mark-attached Web page;
• a unit for sending a rating mark validity verification request to said rating performer device;
• a unit for receiving the result of said verification request from said rating performer device;
• and
• a unit for displaying said rating-mark-attached Web page and the verification result.

A method for disclosing rating information wherein;

• a rating performer generates a rating mark indicative of the assessment on a rating target based on the result of review conducted over said rating target, and sends the rating mark to said rating target;
• a rating target publishes a Web page to which said obtained rating mark is attached;
• and
• a rating browser obtains said rating-mark-attached Web page, and verifies the validity of said rating mark by using a rating mark validity verification unit.

A rating browser device comprising;

• a unit for requesting a Web page acquisition to a rating target device;
• a unit for analyzing and displaying the obtained Web page;
• and
• a rating mark verification unit for performing verification of a rating mark when the obtained Web page contains the rating mark.

A rating performer device comprising;

• a rating mark database for managing rating marks;
• a unit for receiving a rating mark validity verification request;
• a status determination unit for determining a status of a corresponding rating mark by conducting a search over said rating mark database in response to said verification request;
• and
• a unit for sending said determination result to the requester.

A storage medium storing a rating mark verification program to be executed by a rating browser device, said rating mark verification program being designed to execute;

• a step, when a Web page obtained by said rating browser device contains a rating mark, of performing a validity verification of the rating mark based on the information contained within said rating mark and information associated with said Web page;
• a step of requesting a validity verification of said rating mark to a rating performer device which manages said rating mark;
• and
• a step of confirming the validity of said rating mark based on the verification result returned form said rating performer device.