Content transmission system, transmission server, communication terminal, and content transmission method

A transmission server comprising:

• a determination module configured to determine whether content provided to communication terminals is copyrighted content with an established copyright;
• a set up module configured to set up access address information comprising information specifying a memory region where the content determined to be copyrighted content by the determination module is stored;
• a reception module configured to receive content delivery requests from a communication terminal;
• and
• a transmission module configured to transmit the copyrighted content and an applicable access address information in accordance with the delivery requests, wherein
• the set up module is configured to set up the access address information for every communication terminal or every user that provides the content, and
• the transmission server further includes a storing module configured to, in relation to the access address information, associate and store information that specifies the communication terminal or user to which the transmission server provides the access address information with information that specifies the communication terminal or user that has requested content using the applicable access address information.

A communication terminal comprising:

• a request module configured to transmit delivery requests for delivery of copyrighted content with an established copyright, to the transmission server;
• an information acquisition module configured to acquire copyrighted content and access address information that contains information specifying a memory region where the copyrighted content is stored, from the transmission server, in accordance with the delivery requests;
• a storing module configured to associate and store the copyrighted content with access address information, which have been acquired by the information acquisition module;
• an operation unit configured to receive a selection of the copyrighted content or a non-copyrighted content stored at the storing module for transmission to another communication terminal;
• a determining unit configured to determine whether a content selected for transmission is the copyright protected content or the non-copyright protected content;
• and
• transmission module configured to transmit the access address information stored in the storing module and not the copyright protected content to the another communication terminal when the determining unit determines that the selected content is the copyright protected content, and to transmit the non-copyright protected content to the another communication terminal when the determining unit determines that the selected content is the non-copyright protected content.

A content transmission method in a content transmission system comprising a plurality of communication terminals that can be individually identified and a transmission server connected to a communication network to which the communication terminals belong, the method comprising:

• transmitting, from the communication terminal, a delivery request for delivery of content;
• receiving, at the transmission server, the transmitted delivery request;
• determining, at the transmission server, whether a content to be provided is copyrighted content with an established copyright;
• setting up, at the transmission server, access address information comprising information specifying a memory region where the content determined to be copyrighted content in the transmission server is stored;
• transmitting, by the transmission server, the copyrighted content and the applicable access address information, to the communication terminals, in accordance with the received delivery request;
• acquiring, at the communication terminal, the copyrighted content and the applicable access address information, in accordance with the delivery request;
• storing, at the communication terminal, the acquired copyrighted content associated with the access address information;
• receiving, at the communication terminal, a selection of the copyrighted content or a non-copyrighted content stored at the communication terminal for transmission to another communication terminal;
• determining, at the communication terminal, whether the content selected for transmission is the copyright protected content or the non-copyright protected content;
• and
• transmitting, from the communication terminal, access address information stored in the storing step and not the copyright protected content to another communication terminal when the determining unit determines that the selected content is the copyright protected content, and transmitting the non-copyright protected content to the another communication terminal when the determining unit determines that the selected content is the non-copyright protected content.