CONTENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND CONTENT MANAGEMENT UNIT

摘要

A content management system capable of preventing the content from being copied in excess of a limit number of copying times. The content management system consists of a first content management unit and a second content management unit. The first content management unit stores period information indicating a period during which utilization of a copied content is permitted to a first external unit, and delivers that period information to the second content management unit when the content is moved. At a moment in time when the period information is received from the first content management unit and the content is copied for a second external unit, the second content management unit makes a decision whether utilization period of the copied content has expired or not using the period information thus received and inhibits the content from being copied to the second external unit if the utilization period has not yet expired.