METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MANAGING USE PERIOD OF INFORMATION RECORDING MEDIUM AND INFORMATION RECORDING MEDIUM HAVING USE PERIOD MANAGED BY THE SAME METHOD

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and a system for use period management of an information recording medium which eliminate the need for a user who has rented the information recording medium to visit the store for its return and the information recording medium which is suitable for the use by this managing method. SOLUTION: A DVD-ROM rented by a rental system is provided with a unique medium ID, which is recorded on the DVD-ROM together with content data and a reproducing program. In a period management database 28, the medium IDs of DVD-ROMs which have been rented and their rental periods are related and recorded. The reproducing program inquires whether or not the period has expired by sending the medium ID to a rental server 10 and inhibits the contents from being reproduced when being expired.