Content sales support method and content sales support apparatus in super distribution system

A content sales support method of supporting the sale of contents in a super distribution system where a content distribute server delivers encrypted content obtained by encrypting content and a key for decrypting the encrypted content to a plurality of user terminals separately free of charge or for profit, the content sales support method comprising:

• a step of finding the number of possessions for each content of the encrypted contents stored held at the user terminals and the average number of possessions of contents;
• a step of finding the number of purchases for each content of the keys purchased at the user terminals and the average number of purchases of contents;
• and
• a step of determining a sales measure for each content on the basis of at least the result of comparison between the found number of purchases of keys for each content, the number of possessions of encrypted contents, the average number of possessions, and the average number of purchases.

A content sales support apparatus which is incorporated into a super distribution system where a content distribute server delivers encrypted content obtained by encrypting content and a key for decrypting the encrypted content to a plurality of user terminals separately free of charge or for profit and which supports the sale of contents, the content sales support apparatus comprising:

• means for finding the number of possessions for each content of the encrypted contents stored at the user terminals and the average number of possessions of contents;
• means for finding the number of purchases for each content of the keys purchased at the user terminals and the average number of purchases of contents;
• means for finding a purchase ratio obtained by dividing the number of purchases of keys for each content by the number of possessions of encrypted content, and
• means for determining a sales measure for each content on the basis of the result of comparison between the found number of purchases for each content, the number of possessions of encrypted content, the purchase ratio, the average number of possessions, and the average number of purchases.

A content sales support apparatus which is incorporated in a super distribution system where a content distribute server delivers not only encrypted content obtained by encrypting content to a plurality of user terminals via an advertising server but also a key for decrypting the encrypted content to the user terminals and the payment of charge for the key is made between a payment server and the user terminals and which supports the sale of contents, the content sales support apparatus comprising:

• means for finding the number of possessions for each content of the encrypted contents stored at the user terminals and the average number of possessions of contents;
• means for finding the number of purchases for each content of the keys purchased at the user terminals and the average number of purchases of contents;
• means for finding a purchase ratio obtained by dividing the number of purchases of keys for each content and the number of possessions of encrypted content, and
• means for determining a sales measure for each content on the basis of the result of comparison between the found number of purchases for each content, the number of possessions of encrypted content, the purchase ratio, the average number of possessions, and the average number of purchases.

A super distribution system including;

• a content distribute server, a plurality of user terminals, and a content sales support apparatus, and
• the content distribute server comprising means for delivering encrypted content obtained by encrypting content to the individual user terminals free of charge and means for sending a key for decrypting the encrypted content to the user terminals for profit,
• each of the user terminals comprising means for storing the encrypted content delivered free of charge from the content distribute server and means for decrypting the encrypted content into the original content using the key transmitted for profit from the content distribute server, and
• the content sales support apparatus comprising means for, on the basis of a report of the number of possessions of encrypted content from each of the user terminals and a report of the number of purchases of keys, finding the number of possessions for each content of the encrypted contents stored at the user terminals and the average number of possessions of contents and the number of purchases for each content of the keys purchased at the user terminals and the average number of purchases of contents, and means for determining a sales measure for each content on the basis of the result of comparison between the found number of purchases of keys for the individual contents, the number of possessions of encrypted content, the average number of possessions, and the average number of purchases.

A super distribution system including;

• a content distribute server, an advertising server, a plurality of user terminals, a payment server, and a content sales support apparatus, and
• the advertising server comprising means for displaying on a homepage a menu of contents distributable by the content distribute server, means for transferring a content transmission request from a user terminal to the content distribute server, and means for transmitting a content possession report to the content sales support apparatus,
• the content distribute server comprising means for transmitting encrypted content of specified content to the user terminal of the content transmission requester according to the content transmission request from the advertising server and means for transmitting a key for decrypting the encrypted content according to a key purchase request from the user terminal,
• the payment server comprising means for making payment of charge for the key with the user terminal and means for transmitting a content purchase report of the content to the content sales support apparatus,
• each of the user terminals comprising means for transmitting a content transmission request to the advertising server, means for transmitting a key purchase request to the content distribute server, means for making payment of charge for the key with the payment server, and means for decrypting the encrypted content into the original content using the key received from the content distribute server, and
• the content sales support apparatus comprising means for, on the basis of a content possession report from the advertising server and a purchase report from a payment server, finding the number of possessions for each content of the encrypted contents stored at the user terminals and the average number of contents and the number of purchases for each content of the keys purchased at the user terminals and the average number of purchases of contents, and means for determining a sales measure for each content on the basis of the result of comparison between the found number of purchases for each content of keys for the individual contents, the number of possessions of encrypted content, the average number of possessions, and the average number of purchases.

A content sales support program product which is configured in a super distribution system where a content distribute server delivers encrypted content obtained by encrypting content and a key for decrypting the encrypted content to a plurality of user terminals separately free of charge or for profit and which supports the sale of contents, the content sales support program product comprising:

• finding the number of possessions for each content of the encrypted contents stored at the user terminals and the average number of possessions of contents;
• finding the number of purchases for each content of the keys purchased at the user terminals and the average number of purchases of contents;
• finding a purchase ratio obtained by dividing the number of purchases of a key for each content by the number of possessions of encrypted content, and
• determining a sales measure for each content on the basis of the result of comparison between the found number of purchases of a key for each content, the number of possessions of encrypted content, the purchase ratio, the average number of possessions, and the average number of purchases.