System and method for distributing digital works, apparatus and method for reproducing digital works, and computer program product

A digital work distribution system for distributing digital works to a user computer, comprising first and second computers which are connected to each other and to the user computer via a network and each of which has a memory and a central processing unit, wherein said first computer executes a program to perform:

• setting conditions for plural usages of work data to be distributed;
• encrypting said work data with a predetermined encryption key;
• generating different ticket encryption keys and their corresponding ticket decryption keys, each of said ticket encryption keys and its corresponding one of said ticket decryption keys being associated with conditions for one usage among the set conditions for the plural usages;
• encrypting a predetermined decryption key corresponding to said predetermined encryption key, by using each of said ticket encryption keys generated each in association with the conditions for one of the plural usages;
• and
• encapsulating said work data and said predetermined decryption key encrypted using each of said ticket encryption keys generated each in association with the conditions for one of the plural usages, and generating a capsular work which contains said work data and said predetermined decryption key;
• and
• said second computer executes a program to perform:
• storing, in association with each other, the conditions for the plural usages which have been set by said first computer and said ticket decryption keys corresponding to said ticket encryption keys generated each in association with the conditions for one of the plural usages and used to encrypt said predetermined decryption key;
• encrypting, in reply to an external request for use of said work data received over the network from a user computer, a ticket decryption key which is associated with the conditions for one usage corresponding to the request among the stored ticket decryption keys;
• and
• distributing the encrypted ticket decryption key to a requester at the user computer who has made the request for use of said work data;
• wherein said first computer further performs:
• generating secondary work data to be distributed, based on the work data contained in said capsular work;
• setting conditions for plural usages of said secondary work data to be distributed;
• encrypting said secondary work data with a predetermined encryption key;
• generating different original ticket keys each in association with the conditions for one of the plural usages of said secondary work data;
• encrypting a predetermined decryption key corresponding to said predetermined encryption key of said secondary work data, by using each of said original ticket keys generated each in association with the conditions for one of the plural usages of said secondary work data;
• encapsulating said secondary work data and said predetermined decryption key encrypted using each of said original ticket keys generated each in association with the conditions for one of the plural usages of said secondary work data, and generating a capsular work which contains said secondary work data and said predetermined decryption key;
• and
• generating other ticket decryption keys, based on said original ticket keys and said ticket decryption keys of said work data on which said secondary work data bases;
• and
• said second computer further performs:
• storing the conditions for the plural usages of said secondary work and said other ticket decryption keys in association with each other and transmitting, in reply to an external request for use of said secondary work data, one of said other ticket decryption keys which is associated with the conditions for one usage corresponding to the request, to a requester who has made the request for use of said secondary work.

A digital work reproduction apparatus for reproducing digital works, comprising an input section, an output section, a memory which stores a predetermined program, and a central processing unit, wherein said central processing unit executes the predetermined program, stored in said memory, for performing:

• acquiring a capsular work in which work data encrypted with a predetermined encryption key, and a predetermined decryption key encrypted with each of different ticket encryption keys associated each with conditions for one of plural usages of said work data, are encapsulated;
• acquiring a ticket decryption key corresponding to a ticket encryption key associated with the conditions for a desired one of the plural usages and contained in the acquired capsular work;
• decrypting, with the acquired ticket decryption key, the encrypted predetermined decryption key contained in said capsular work;
• decrypting, with the decrypted predetermined decryption key, said work data contained in said capsular work;
• and
• reproducing the decrypted work data, wherein charging modules to effect processing of making a charge for said work data are further encapsulated in said capsular work;
• and
• the central processing unit performs
• acquiring a piece of charging module identification information which is associated with the conditions for the desired one of the plural usages, among pieces of charging module identification information for identifying said charging modules;
• extracting said charging modules contained in the acquired capsular work and storing the extracted charging modules;
• and
• executing the processing of making a charge for said work data by employing one of the stored charging modules in accordance with the acquired piece of charging module identification information.

A digital work distribution method for distributing digital works between at least one host computer source and a requester computer communicating via a network, comprising:

• with at least one host computer source connected to a network setting conditions for plural usages of work data to be distributed;
• encrypting said work data with a predetermined encryption key;
• generating different ticket encryption keys and their corresponding ticket decryption keys, each of said ticket encryption keys and its corresponding one of said ticket decryption keys being associated with the set conditions for one of the plural usages;
• encrypting a predetermined decryption key corresponding to said predetermined encryption key, by using each of said ticket encryption keys generated each in association with the conditions for one of the plural usages;
• encapsulating said work data and said predetermined decryption key encrypted using each of said ticket encryption keys associated each with the conditions for one of the plural usages, and generating a capsular work which contains said work data and said predetermined decryption key;
• storing, in association with each other, the set conditions for the plural usages and said ticket decryption keys corresponding to said ticket encryption keys generated each in association with the conditions for one of the plural usages and used to encrypt said predetermined decryption key;
• encrypting, in reply to an external request for use of said work data received over the network from a requester computer, a ticket decryption key which is associated with the conditions for one usage corresponding to the request among the stored ticket decryption keys;
• and
• distributing the encrypted ticket decryption key to the requester computer who has made the request for use of said work data;
• generating secondary work data to be distributed, based on the work data contained in said capsular work;
• setting conditions for plural usages of said secondary work data to be distributed;
• encrypting said secondary work data with a predetermined encryption key;
• generating different original ticket keys each in association with the conditions for one of the plural usages of said secondary work data;
• encrypting a predetermined decryption key corresponding to said predetermined encryption key of said secondary work data, by using each of said original ticket keys generated each in association with the conditions for one of the plural usages of said secondary work data;
• encapsulating said secondary work data and said predetermined decryption key encrypted using each of said original ticket keys generated each in association with the conditions for one of the plural usages, and generating a capsular work which contains said secondary work data and said predetermined decryption key;
• generating other ticket decryption keys, based on said original ticket keys and said ticket decryption keys of said work data on which said secondary work data bases;
• and
• storing the conditions for the plural usages of said secondary work and said other ticket decryption keys in association with each other and transmitting, in reply to an external request for use of said secondary work data, one of said other ticket decryption keys which is associated with the conditions for one usage corresponding to the request, to a requester who has made the request for use of said secondary work.

A digital work distribution method for distributing digital works between at least one host computer source and a requester computer communicating via a network, comprising:

• with at least one host computer source connected to a network setting conditions for plural usages of work data to be distributed;
• encrypting said work data with a predetermined encryption key;
• generating different ticket encryption keys and their corresponding ticket decryption keys, each of said ticket encryption keys and its corresponding one of said ticket decryption keys being associated with the set conditions for one of the plural usages;
• encrypting a predetermined decryption key corresponding to said predetermined encryption key, by using each of said ticket encryption keys generated each in association with the conditions for one of the plural usages;
• encapsulating said work data and said predetermined decryption key encrypted using each of said ticket encryption keys associated each with the conditions for one of the plural usages, and generating a capsular work which contains said work data and said predetermined decryption key;
• storing, in association with each other, the set conditions for the plural usages and said ticket decryption keys corresponding to said ticket encryption keys generated each in association with the conditions for one of the plural usages and used to encrypt said predetermined decryption key;
• encrypting, in reply to an external request for use of said work data received over the network from a requester computer, a ticket decryption key which is associated with the conditions for one usage corresponding to the request among the stored ticket decryption keys;
• distributing the encrypted ticket decryption key to the requester computer who has made the request for use of said work data;
• generating charging modules to effect processing of making a charge for the work data to be distributed, each of said charging modules being associated with the conditions for one of the plural usages;
• further encapsulating, in said capsular work, said charging modules generated each in association with the conditions for one of the plural usages;
• and
• storing pieces of charging module identification information for identifying said charging modules, in association with the conditions for the plural usages.

A computer program product, including a computer usable medium having a computer readable program embodied therein for executing:

• setting conditions for plural usages of work data to be distributed;
• encrypting said work data with a predetermined encryption key;
• generating different ticket encryption keys and their corresponding ticket decryption keys, each of said ticket encryption keys and its corresponding one of said ticket decryption keys being associated with the set conditions for one of the plural usages;
• encrypting a predetermined decryption key corresponding to said predetermined encryption key, by using each of said ticket encryption keys generated each in association with the conditions for one of the plural usages;
• encapsulating said work data and said predetermined decryption key encrypted using each of said ticket encryption keys generated each in association with the conditions for one of the plural usages, and generating a capsular work which contains said work data and said predetermined decryption key;
• generating secondary work data to be distributed, based on the work data contained in said capsular work;
• setting conditions for plural usages of said secondary work data to be distributed;
• encrypting said secondary work data with a predetermined encryption key;
• generating different original ticket keys each in association with the conditions for one of the plural usages of said secondary work data;
• encrypting a predetermined decryption key corresponding to said predetermined encryption key of said secondary work data, by using each of said original ticket keys generated each in association with the conditions for one of the plural usages of said secondary work data;
• encapsulating said secondary work data and said predetermined decryption key encrypted using each of said original ticket keys generated each in association with the conditions for one of the plural usages of said secondary work data, and generating a capsular work which contains said secondary work data and said predetermined decryption key;
• and
• generating other ticket decryption keys, based on said original ticket keys and said ticket decryption keys of said work data on which said secondary work data bases.

A computer program signal embodied in a carrier wave comprising:

• a usage condition setting segment which sets conditions for plural usages of work data to be distributed;
• a work encrypting segment which encrypts said work data with a predetermined encryption key;
• a ticket key generating segment which generates different ticket encryption keys and their corresponding ticket decryption keys, each of said ticket encryption keys and its corresponding one of said ticket decryption keys being associated with conditions for one usage among the conditions for the plural usages which have been set by said usage condition setting segment;
• a decryption key encrypting segment which encrypts a predetermined decryption key corresponding to said predetermined encryption key, by using each of said ticket encryption keys generated each in association with the conditions for one of the plural usages;
• an encapsulating segment which encapsulates said work data and said predetermined decryption key encrypted using each of said ticket encryption keys generated each in association with the conditions for one of the plural usages, and which generates a capsular work containing said work data and said predetermined decryption key;
• a secondary work data generating segment which generates secondary work data to be distributed, based on the work data contained in said capsular work generated by said encapsulating segment;
• a usage condition setting segment which sets conditions for plural usages of said secondary work data to be distributed;
• a secondary work encrypting segment which encrypts said secondary work data with a predetermined encryption key;
• an original ticket key generating segment which generates different original ticket keys each in association with the conditions for one of the plural usages of said secondary work data;
• a decryption key encrypting segment which encrypts a predetermined decryption key corresponding to said predetermined encryption key, by using each of said original ticket keys generated each in association with the conditions for one of the plural usages of said secondary work data;
• an encapsulating segment which encapsulates said secondary work data and said predetermined decryption key encrypted using each of said original ticket keys generated each in association with the conditions for one of the plural usages of said secondary work data, and which generates a capsular work containing said secondary work data and said predetermined decryption key;
• and
• a ticket decryption key generating segment which generates other ticket decryption keys, based on said original ticket keys and the ticket decryption keys of said work data on which said secondary work data bases.

A digital work distribution system for distributing digital works, comprising first, second and third computers which are connected to each other via a network and each of which has a memory and a central processing unit, wherein

• said first computer executes a program to perform setting conditions for plural usages of work data to be distributed;
• encrypting said work data with a predetermined encryption key;
• generating different ticket encryption keys and their corresponding ticket decryption keys, each of said ticket encryption keys and its corresponding one of said ticket decryption keys being associated with conditions for one usage among the set conditions for the plural usages;
• encrypting a predetermined decryption key corresponding to said predetermined encryption key, by using each of said ticket encryption keys generated each in association with the conditions for one of the plural usages;
• and
• encapsulating said work data and said predetermined decryption key encrypted using each of said ticket encryption keys generated each in association with the conditions for one of the plural usages, and generating a capsular work which contains said work data and said predetermined decryption key;
• said second computer executes a program to perform storing, in association with each other, the conditions for the plural usages which have been set by said first computer and said ticket decryption keys corresponding to said ticket encryption keys generated each in association with the conditions for one of the plural usages and used to encrypt said predetermined decryption key;
• encrypting, in reply to an external request for use of said work data, a ticket decryption key which is associated with the conditions for one usage corresponding to the request among the stored ticket decryption keys;
• and
• distributing the encrypted ticket decryption key to a requester who has made the request for use of said work data;
• and
• said third computer executes a program to perform storing, at the third computer, the capsular work generated by said first computer;
• and
• distributing the stored capsular work.