Literary work royalty accounting method, network system therefor and recording medium on which control program therefor is recorded

• US 20010047339A1
• Filed: 04/16/2001
• Published: 11/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Infrontia Corporation (NEC Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NEC Infrontia Corporation (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Entani, Naruto
• Granted Patent: US 7,353,206 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2135 Metering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3678 e-cash details, e.g. blinded, divisible or detecting double spending

Abstract

A literary work royalty meter rate accounting method is provided by which a royalty based on the frequency of use of literary works such as music data distributed through a communication circuit is imposed on a customer. A management terminal apparatus sells a right of use of music data to a customer through a communication circuit, receives literary work use situation information such as the number of times of use, the hour of use or the amount of use of the music data by the customer, and imposes a royalty on the customer through the communication circuit in accordance with the literary work use situation information. A literary work provider terminal apparatus distributes the literary works to a customer terminal apparatus through the communication circuit. The customer terminal apparatus purchases the enciphered right of use of the music data from the management terminal apparatus, receives the music data desired by the customer and distributed thereto from the literary work provider terminal apparatus and deciphers the right of use and the music data so that the customer may use the music data. The customer terminal apparatus notifies the management terminal apparatus of the literary work use situation information through the communication circuit.

Claims

1. A literary work accounting method, comprising:

a use right sales step by a seller of selling a right of use of literary works to a customer; and

an accounting step of imposing a royalty for the literary works on the customer in accordance with the number of times of use, the hour of use or the amount of use of the literary works by the customer.

2. A literary work royalty accounting method as claimed in

claim 1

, wherein the right of use of the literary works is sold in an enciphered state.

3. A literary work accounting method, comprising:

a use right sales step by a seller of selling a right of use of literary works to a customer;

a literary work distribution step by a literary work provider of distributing the literary works to the customer through a communication circuit; and

an accounting step by the seller of imposing a royalty for the literary works on the customer through the communication circuit in accordance with the number of times of use, the hour of use or the amount of use of the literary works by the customer.

4. A literary work royalty accounting method as claimed in

claim 3

, wherein the literary works are distributed in an enciphered state.

5. A literary work royalty accounting method as claimed in

claim 3

, wherein the right of use of the literary works is sold in an enciphered state.

6. A literary work accounting method, comprising:

a use right sales step by a seller of selling a right of use of literary works to a customer through a communication circuit;

a literary work distribution step by a literary work provider of distributing the literary works to the customer through the communication circuit; and

an accounting step by the seller of imposing a royalty for the literary works on the customer through the communication circuit in accordance with the number of times of use, the hour of use or the amount of use of the literary works by the customer.

7. A literary work royalty accounting method as claimed in

claim 6

, wherein the literary works are distributed in an enciphered state.

8. A literary work royalty accounting method as claimed in

claim 6

, wherein the right of use of the literary works is sold in an enciphered state.

9. A network system, comprising:

a management terminal apparatus for selling a right of use of literary works to a customer through a communication circuit and imposing a royalty for the literary works on the customer through the communication circuit in accordance with the number of times of use, the hour of use or the amount of use of the literary works by the customer;

a literary work provider terminal apparatus for distributing the literary works to the customer through the communication circuit; and

a customer terminal apparatus for purchasing the right of use of the literary works from said management terminal apparatus through the communication circuit, receiving the literary works desired by the customer and distributed thereto from said literary work provider terminal apparatus through the communication circuit and notifying said management terminal apparatus of the number of times of use, the hour of use or the amount of use of the literary works.

10. A network system as claimed in

claim 9

, wherein said management terminal apparatus sells the right of use of the literary works in an enciphered state.

11. A network system as claimed in

claim 9

, wherein said management terminal apparatus distributes the literary works in an enciphered state.

12. A network system as claimed in

claim 9

, wherein said customer terminal apparatus includes decipherment means for deciphering the literary works and the right of use of the literary works both received in an enciphered form from said literary work provider terminal apparatus.

13. A recording medium on which a control program for causing a computer to execute a literary work royalty accounting method is recorded, the control program comprising:

a use right sales step by a seller of selling a right of use of literary works to a customer; and

an accounting step of imposing a royalty for the literary works on the customer in accordance with the number of times of use, the hour of use or the amount of use of the literary works by the customer.

14. A recording medium on which a control program for causing a computer to execute a literary work royalty accounting method is recorded, the control program comprising:

a use right sales step by a seller of selling a right of use of literary works to a customer;

a literary work distribution step by a literary work provider of distributing the literary works to the customer through a communication circuit; and

an accounting step by the seller of imposing a royalty for the literary works on the customer through the communication circuit in accordance with the number of times of use, the hour of use or the amount of use of the literary works by the customer.

15. A recording medium on which a control program for causing a computer to execute a literary work royalty accounting method is recorded, the control program comprising:

a use right sales step by a seller of selling a right of use of literary works to a customer through a communication circuit;

a literary work distribution step by a literary work provider of distributing the literary works to the customer through the communication circuit; and

an accounting step by the seller of imposing a royalty for the literary works on the customer through the communication circuit in accordance with the number of times of use, the hour of use or the amount of use of the literary works by the customer.