Copyrighted data processing method and apparatus

A recording medium having a program recorded thereon, said program for executing, on a computer, a data processing method of processing copyrighted data within an obtained right, said method comprising:

• storing the data;
• storing a process right that is required for executing the process on the data stored in said storing of the data;
• inputting an instruction for the data stored in said storing of the data;
• determining, based on the process right stored in said storing of the process right, whether the instruction is to be executed or not;
• executing the instruction;
• and
• displaying the process right stored in said storing of the process right on a screen,
• wherein the process right stored in said storing of the process right specifies a number of executions,
• wherein said displaying of the process right displays on the screen as many icons as the number of executions specified by the process right,
• wherein the process right comprises a check-out right representing a right to copy the stored data to a removable storage medium, and
• wherein said displaying of the process right displays at least one of “check-out is possible”, “during check-out”, and “check-out is impossible” with respect to the check-out right.

A data processing apparatus for executing a process on copyrighted data within an obtained right, said apparatus comprising:

• data storage means for storing the data;
• right information storage means for storing a process right that is required for executing the process on the data stored in said data storage means;
• input means for inputting an instruction for the data stored in said data storage means;
• control means for determining, based on the process right stored in said right information storage means, whether said instruction is to be executed or not;
• process execution means for executing the instruction:
• and
• display means for displaying the process right stored in said right information storage means on a screen,
• wherein the process right stored in said right information storage means specifies a number of executions,
• wherein said display means is operable to display on the screen as many icons as the number of executions specified by process right,
• wherein the process right comprises a check-out right representing a right to copy the data stored in said data storage means to a removable storage medium, and
• wherein said display means is operable to display at least one of “check-out is possible”, “during check-out”, and “check-out is impossible” with respect to the check-out right.