Method and apparatus for contents de-duplication

A system for providing contents, the system comprising:

• a content device which issues a ticket including trade information of a trade by a user for content from the content device;
• a storage device which receives the ticket;
• and
• a network connecting the content device and the storage device;
• wherein the storage device
• receives attribute information of the content identified in the ticket;
• determines whether the storage device has the content identified in the ticket based on the attribute information;
• if the storage device does not have the content identified in the ticket, receives the content identified in the ticket from the content device and storing the content in the storage device;
• and
• if the storage device has the content identified in the ticket, does not receive the content identified in the ticket from the content device.

A computer-readable storage medium storing a plurality of instructions for controlling a data processor to provide contents from a content device to a storage device, the plurality of instructions comprising:

• instructions that cause the data processor to receive, by the storage device, a ticket including trade information of a trade by a user for content from the content device;
• instructions that cause the data processor to request, by the storage device, attribute information of the content identified in the ticket from the content device;
• instructions that cause the data processor to determine whether the storage device has the content identified in the ticket based on the attribute information;
• if the storage device does not have the content identified in the ticket, instructions that cause the data processor to receive the content identified in the ticket from the content device and store the content in the storage device;
• and
• if the storage device has the content identified in the ticket, instructions that cause the data processor not to receive the content identified in the ticket from the content device.