PURPOSE: To prevent the unauthorized copy on the side of a subscriber, regarding a data distribution system distributing data to the subscriber from a service center via a network.
CONSTITUTION: A service center 1 is provided with a storage part 4 storing various kinds of data and reading the data according to the requests from subscribers 3-1 to 3-n and a ciphering part 5 ciphering data by the open keys corresponding to the secret keys of the subscribers and transmitting the data. The reproducing/recording device 8 such as personal computers, etc., of the subscribers 3-1 to 3-n has a decoding part 9 where the secret keys are preliminarily set, decodes ciphered data in the decoding part 9 only when the ciphered data received from the node 6 of a network 2 by a receiver 7 is reproduced and displayed, and records the ciphered data as it is when the recording is performed.
ISHIHARA TOMOHIRO
TANAKA ATSUSHI
OKUDA MASAHITO
