PURPOSE: To accurately protect software generated by a proper creator by sending out software data and restriction data for restricting use styles from a management center and restricting operation for using the software data by a terminal on the basis of the restriction data.

CONSTITUTION: A digital television 121 connected to an ATM network 2 receives input encoded data in MPEG or JPEG form, and decodes and displays the data as a visual image on a CRT display device. A VTR 123 records the inputted MPEG or JPEG compressed image data on a tape as they are or after signal processing. The management center 127 performs various management such as use management and equivalent management of various software to be sent out, stocks software data registered in a protection organization for various software, and assigns management number by software data, restriction data on use styles, and charging data to the registered software data.