Communication method

A communication program for making an information processing apparatus execute:

• the request step of requesting of an associated information provision server to transmit associated information about contents broadcast in a broadcasting program being received;
• the associated information acquisition step of acquiring the associated information corresponding to said request from said associated information provision server, and storing the associated information in storage means;
• and
• the retrieval step of transmitting the part of said associated information as retrieval keys for retrieving said contents to a contents retrieval server, and obtaining retrieval results from said contents retrieval server.

A communication system wherein:

• a first server comprises,
• first receiving means for receiving a request signal to request to transmit associated information about contents broadcast in a broadcast program being received, together with user information, from a broadcast receiving apparatus,
• authentication means for authenticating said user information, and
• first transmission means, if the authentication of said user information is permitted, for transmitting said associated information to said broadcast receiving apparatus;
• and
• a second server comprises,
• second receiving means for receiving said broadcasting station identification information being the part of said associated information as retrieval keys for retrieving said contents, from said broadcast receiving apparatus, and
• second transmission means for retrieving information corresponding to the above retrieval keys from databases in storage media based on said retrieval keys, and transmitting the information to said broadcast receiving apparatus as retrieval results.