Method of providing information via a communication network and information providing system

An information providing method for an information providing system including an information providing apparatus that provides content data and an information receiving apparatus that is connected to the information providing apparatus via a communication network and receives the content data,

• the information providing method comprising:
• a describing data transmitting step in which the information providing apparatus transmits provided information describing data, which describes a content of the content data, to the information receiving apparatus;
• a describing data receiving step in which the information receiving apparatus receives the provided information describing data from the information providing apparatus;
• a first receipt data transmitting step in which the information receiving apparatus transmits the first receipt data to the information providing apparatus in response to reception of the provided information describing data;
• a first receipt data receiving step in which the information providing apparatus receives the first receipt data from the information receiving apparatus;
• a content data transmitting step in which the information providing apparatus transmits the content data to the information receiving apparatus in response to reception of the first receipt data;
• a content data receiving step in which the information receiving apparatus receives the content data from the information providing apparatus;
• an authenticity confirming step in which the information receiving apparatus confirms whether the content data is authentic based on the content data and the provided information describing data;
• a second receipt data transmitting step in which the information receiving apparatus transmits second receipt data to the information providing apparatus only when the content data is authentic;
• and
• a second receipt data receiving step in which the information providing apparatus receives the second receipt data from the information receiving apparatus,
• wherein by collecting both the first receipt data and the second receipt data, the information providing apparatus can prove that the information receiving apparatus received the content data.

An information providing system, comprising:

• an information providing apparatus that provides content data and provided information describing data, which describes a content of the content data;
• and
• an information receiving apparatus that is connected to the information providing apparatus via a communication network, receives the content data and the provided information describing data, and transmits a receipt for the received content data to the information providing apparatus,
• wherein the information receiving apparatus confirms whether the content data is authentic based on the content data and the provided information describing data and transmits the receipt to the information providing apparatus only when the content data is authentic.

An information receiving apparatus for use in a information providing system that includes an information providing apparatus that provides content data and an information receiving apparatus that is connected to the information providing apparatus via a communication network and receives the content data,

• the information receiving apparatus comprising:
• a data receiving unit operable to receive the content data and provided information describing data, which describes a content of the content data, from the information providing apparatus;
• a content confirming unit operable to confirm whether the content data is authentic based on the content data and the provided information describing data;
• and
• a receipt transmitting unit operable to transmit a receipt for the content data to the information providing apparatus only when the content data is authentic.

A dispute resolution apparatus for use in a system that includes an information providing apparatus that provides content data, an information receiving apparatus that is connected to the information providing apparatus via a communication network, receives the content data, and transmits a receipt for the content data to the information providing apparatus, and a dispute resolution apparatus that is connected to the information providing apparatus and the information receiving apparatus via the communication network and resolves a dispute that arises between the information providing apparatus and the information receiving apparatus,

• wherein the receipt includes first receipt data and second receipt data, and by collecting the first receipt data and the second receipt data, it is possible to prove that the information receiving apparatus has received the content data,
• the information providing apparatus includes a provided information describing data transmitting unit operable to transmit provided information describing data, which describes a content of the content data, and dispute resolution content data, which only the dispute resolution apparatus is capable of decoding, to the information receiving apparatus, a content data transmitting unit operable to receive the first receipt data from the information receiving apparatus and to transmit the content data to the information receiving apparatus in response to reception of the first receipt data;
• and a second receipt data receiving unit operable to receive the second receipt data in response to the content data that has been transmitted,
• the information receiving apparatus includes a first receipt data issuing unit operable to receive the provided information describing data and the dispute resolution content data from the information providing apparatus, to issue the first receipt data in response to reception of the data, and to transmit the first receipt data to the information providing apparatus, a second receipt data issuing unit operable to receive the content data from the information providing apparatus, to issue the second receipt data in response to reception of the content data, and to transmit the second receipt data to the information providing apparatus, and a receiving apparatus dispute requesting unit operable to transmit, when the content data cannot be received from the information providing apparatus within a predetermined period following transmission of the first receipt data, the provided information describing data and the dispute resolution content data to the dispute resolution apparatus and to request the dispute resolution apparatus to resolve a dispute,
• the dispute resolution apparatus comprising:
• a dispute resolution list storing unit operable to store a dispute resolution list that stores information relating to whether a dispute that has arisen between the information providing apparatus and the information receiving apparatus has been resolved;
• a cancellation list storing unit operable to store a cancellation list that stores information relating to whether an exchanging of data between the information providing apparatus and the information receiving apparatus has been cancelled;
• a content confirming unit operable to confirm, when an exchanging of data between the information providing apparatus and the information receiving apparatus has not been cancelled and the dispute that has arisen between the information providing apparatus and the information receiving apparatus has not been resolved, whether the dispute resolution content data is authentic, based on the dispute resolution content data and the provided information describing data received from the information receiving apparatus;
• and
• a forcible cancellation executing unit operable to forcibly terminate, when the dispute resolution content data is not authentic, the exchanging of data between the information providing apparatus and the information receiving apparatus.