Verifying the ownership of an owner's authority in terms of product and service

An apparatus for verifying authority in terms of an identifier of a product, a first verification key for verifying said authority held at a terminal of an assignor of said authority involving said product, and a second verification key of said assignor concerning said identifier of said product stored in a product database, configured to:

• receive a third verification key of an assignee and said first verification key of said assignee with said authority held at said terminal;
• acquire said second verification key of said assignor from said product database;
• verify said first verification key in terms of said second verification key;
• and
• store said third verification key of said assignee in place of said second verification key in said product database under the condition that said verification is successful,
• wherein said apparatus is configured to use a hash value acquired by applying a one-way hash function to a number acquired by a predetermined method in said terminal of said assignor by t (an integer of 1 or more) times as said first verification key and use a hash value acquired by applying said one-way hash function to a number acquired by a predetermined method in a terminal of said assignee by u (an integer of 1 or more) times as said third verification key and as a verification key to be used in a subsequent verification of the authority of said assignee,
• wherein said apparatus is configured to encrypt a result of said subsequent verification of said authority of said assignee by using a hash value acquired by applying said one-way hash function to said number acquired by said predetermined method in said terminal of said assignee by u−1 times as an encryption key.

A method for verifying the authority of at least one owner in terms of an identifier of a product, a first verification key for verifying said authority held at a terminal of an owner with said authority involving said product, and a second verification key for verifying said authority concerning said identifier of said product stored in a product database, comprising:

• receiving said identifier and said first verification key;
• acquiring said second verification key from said product database;
• and
• determining whether or not said authority of said at least one owner exists according to said first verification key and said second verification key,
• wherein said determining includes using a hash value acquired by applying a one-way hash function to a number acquired by a predetermined method by t (an integer of 1 or more) times as said first verification key for verifying said authority of said at least one owner, and using a hash value acquired by applying said one-way hash function to said number acquired by said predetermined method by t−1 times as a next verification key in a subsequent verification of said authority of said at least one owner, and
• encrypting, by said terminal, said first verification key by acquiring an exclusive OR of said first verification key and said hash value acquired by applying said one-way hash function to said number acquired by said predetermined method by t−1 times as an encryption key.

A method for verifying the authority of at least one owner in terms of an identifier of a product, a first verification key for verifying said authority held at a terminal of an assignor with said authority involving said product, and a second verification key of said assignor concerning said identifier of said product stored in a product database comprising:

• receiving a third verification key of an assignee and said first verification key of said assignee with said authority held at said terminal of said assignor;
• acquiring said second verification key of the assignor from said product database;
• verifying said first verification key in terms of said second verification key;
• and
• storing said third verification key of said assignee as said second verification key in said product database under the condition that said verification is successful,
• wherein said verification includes using a hash value acquired by applying a one-way hash function to a number acquired by a predetermined method in said terminal of said assignor by t (an integer of 1 or more) times as said first verification key for verifying said authority of said assignor, and using a hash value acquired by applying said one-way hash function to a number acquired by a predetermined method in a terminal of said assignee by u (an integer of 1 or more) times to as said third verification key and as a verification key in a subsequent verification of the authority of said assignee, and
• encrypting, by said terminal of said assignor, said first verification key by acquiring an exclusive OR of said first verification key and a hash value acquired by applying said one-way hash function to said number acquired by said predetermined method in said terminal of said assignor by t−1 times as an encryption key.

A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer storage medium with computer readable program code embodied thereon for managing information regarding the authority of at least one owner involving a product at a terminal, wherein the computer program code when executed causes said terminal:

• store a first verification key managed separately from an identifier of said product;
• create said first verification key which is used for verification in an apparatus for verifying said authority of said at least one owner in terms of a second verification key involving said product stored in a product database,
• wherein said terminal uses a hash value acquired by applying a one-way hash function to a number acquired by a predetermined method by t (an integer of 1 or more) times as said first verification key for verifying said authority of said at least one owner, and uses a hash value acquired by applying said one-way hash function to said number acquired by said predetermined method by t−1 times as a verification key in a subsequent verification of said authority of said at least one owner, and
• encrypt said first verification key by acquiring an exclusive OR of said first verification key and said hash value acquired by applying said one-way hash function to said number acquired by said predetermined method by t−1 times as an encryption key.