CONTENTS STORAGE DEVICE AND CONTENTS READER

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To deal with mass contents data while protecting the contents author. SOLUTION: License keys prepared for respective pieces of contents data are stored in a key storage device 101 which is installed apart from a hard disk device 106 for storing ciphered contents data. A key storage device 14 has the authentication function of a communication opposite party. When a reproduction device is authenticated as the communication opposite party by the function, the license key corresponding to contents data being the object of reproduction is transmitted to the reproduction device by using cipher communications. When a memory card is authenticated as the communication opposite party, the license key being the object of a request is transmitted by using cipher communications and the transmitted license key is deleted from a stored content.