TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a system for selling and purchasing a program via a computer communication network, and more particularly, to a management method and apparatus for copyright protection of programs-on-demand so that a copyright for a purchased program can be protected.

BACKGROUND ART

It is expected that a computer communication having shorter history than that of a voice communication is remarkably developed in two kinds of technological fields. Firstly, a multimedia data such as a picture, an image and a sound as well as character data will flow via a computer communication network. When shopping via the computer communication, all of products as well as specification thereof can be watched via displayed images. It is possible to choose a music record, after directly listening to a music played. Telephone companies are developing a video-on-demand (VOD) business which handles multimedia data when communicating. A movie or music program can be received and appreciated via an on-line communication network at a user desired time, and a news can be watched as an accustomed image and sound via a communication network whenever a user wants to watch it. Secondly, such a computer communication system will be changed from cable to radio, and then a user obtains desired material anytime anywhere. If an information society is established while the computer communication network is constructed, a number of software programs will be sold and purchased via a communication network. Such a pattern of program supply has a merit that a cost due to a user movement can be saved and a continuously updated

software can be timely supplied. Accordingly, a copyright protection for a communication-sold program will be greatly needed.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION Therefore, to solve the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a management method for protecting a copyright of a program which is supplied via a social infrastructured communication network.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for embodying a management method for protecting a copyright of a program-on-demand.

To accomplish the one object of the present invention, there is provided a management method for protecting a copyright of a program -on- demand which is ordered and supplied using a computer communication network, the copyright protection management method comprising the steps of: transmitting a request command of purchasing a desired program; transmitting the program corresponding to the received program purchase request command together with a detailed use restriction contents of the program; and managing that a program service is accomplished within the scope of the use restriction contents by storing the received program and the program use restriction contents.

To accomplish the other object of the present invention, there is provided a management apparatus for protecting a copyright of a program-on-demand which is ordered and supplied using a computer communication network, the copyright protection management apparatus comprising: a program sourcing base station for transmitting a program corresponding to a received program purchase request command together with a detailed use restriction contents of the program;

a copyright management syr *?m for transmitting the desired program purchase request command, and managing that a program service is accomplished within the scope of the use restriction contents by storing the program received from the base station and the program use restriction contents; and a communication network for exchangeably switching between the base station and the copyright management system.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a management apparatus for a copyright protection of a program-on-demand according to the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinbelow, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing.

FIG. 1 shows a copyright protection management apparatus for a program-on-demand according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus of the present invention comprises a base station 50 which is installed at a program supply side, a copyright management system 10 which is incorporated in a personal computer (PC) 1 of a program demand side, and a packet switching telecommunication network PSTN or an Internet for playing a role of a transmission path between base station 50 and copyright management system 10.

Base station 50 includes a packet exchanger 51 for switching a plurality of copyright management systems. Base station 50 also includes a control processor 53 for controlling and processing a general operation, a memory such as a random access memory (RAM ) 55 for storing an operational program necessary for operating base station 50, and a hard disk 57 containing a data base with respect to the

copyright management systems which are controlled by base station 50 and a data base with respect to programs which are controlled by the copyright management systems. The respective components contained in base station 50 are constructed so that they are connected to each other via an internal bus.

Meanwhile, copyright management system 10 contained in PC 1 includes a register file 11 for storing an identification (ID) number of copyright management system 10, a control logic unit 12 for controlling a general hardware operation of copyright management system 10, and input and output (I/O) units 13 and 14 for exchangeably connecting base station 50 with copyright management system 10 via a communication network such as the Internet and PSTN. Copyright management system 10 also includes a central processing unit 15 for performing a numerical calculation operation, a memory 16 composed of a read-only memory (ROM) for storing an operational program necessary for operating copyright management system 10, a flash memory 17 for storing contents of restricting the number of use frequency and a running time of a program transmitted at the time of purchasing the program, and an input and output (I/O) unit 18 for connecting copyright management system 10 with the respective components in the PC 1. The respective components contained in copyright management system 10 are constructed so that they are connected to each other via an internal bus.

Personal computer 1 containing copyright management system 10 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 20 for controlling copyright management system 10 according to a purchase of a program and the respective components in PC 1, a memory 30 composed of a RAM for storing a plurality of programs, and a hard disk 40 for storing the purchased program. The respective components of PC 1 and I/O unit 18 of copyright management system 10 are constructed so that they are connected to each other via a PC bus.

An operation of a management apparatus for copyright protection of a program-on-demand according to the present invention as constructed above will be described in more detail.

When a consumer will purchase a software program which has been newly developed by a software developer via a communication network, base station 50 and copyright management system 10 play a role of mutually connecting a consumer with a software supplier. That is, base station 50 can be regarded as a software bank. Also, base station 50 are connected to copyright management system 10 with the PSTN or Internet. When purchasing a program, a purchaser should pay for the program to be purchased to base station 50. Then, a program PI which is an interface software contained in memory 30 of PC 1 is executed to connect PC 1 with I/O unit 18 in copyright management system 10. CPU 15 of copyright management system 10 which receives a program purchase request command from a purchaser performs a necessary operation according to an operational program contained in memory 16 composed of a ROM. Here, CPU 15 can perform a numerical calculation operation and decode a program encoded in base station 50 to prevent an unauthorized copy. CPU 15 starts to communicate with base station 50 via one I/O unit among a plurality of I/O units 13 and 14 which are connected to different communication networks if a program purchase request command is input thereto. Here, first I/O unit 13 is connected to base station 50 via the PSTN being an aerial exchangeable telephone network, and second I/O unit 14 is connected to base station 50 via the Internet. Generally, the Internet represents a network itself which connects spread computers with each other, or represents all sources and information which can be accessed the network. In this connection, base station 50 and copyright management system 10 communicate with each other via a selected communication network. The packet exchanger 51 of base station 50 is possibly connected to a plurality of

copyright management systems, and transmits a user program purchase request command applied via the I/O unit of the connected copyright management system 10 to control processor 53. Control processor 53 performs a necessary operation according to an operational program stored in memory 55 composed of a RAM. That is, control processor 53 recognizes a user program purchase request command and then outputs a user ID number request command of connected copyright management system 10 via the communication network. Here, the ID number represents the combination of characters and figures assigned by user selection at the time of making a contract in use for user identification and user service. The user ID number request command is transmitted to copyright management system 10 via packet exchanger 51. The I/O unit of copyright management system 10 transmits the input user ID number request command to CPU 15 via an internal bus. CPU 15 recognizes the user ID number request command, and then transmits the user ID number stored in register file 11 via an inverse path to base station 50. Here, register file 11 is composed of a ROM so that the user ID number is not altered at random. Control processor 53 in base station 50 discriminates whether a received user ID number is a user ID number of a copyright management system which is controlled by control processor 53 while being formed as a data base in hard disk 55. Control processor 53 modifies the program which is requested by the user so that the program is only run in copyright management system 10 having the user ID number and transmits the modified program to PC 1 via copyright management system 10, if the transmitted user ID number is a user ID number of a copyright management system which is controlled by control processor 53. The data base contained in hard disk 55 has items such as user personal particulars, user ID numbers of copyright management systems, a list of programs sold to the purchaser, and the number of use frequency and running time for

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restricting use of the program. CPU 15 in copyright management system 10 decodes an encoded program supplied from base station 50, and makes the encoded program executable. Copyright management system 10 stores the decoded program in hard disk 40 or memory 30 in PC 1. Base station 50 transmits the program together with the contents for restricting use of the program. The use restriction contents are stored in a flash memory 17 in copyright management system 10. Here, the use restriction contents restrict the use frequency of the program or the running time. Generally, a flash memory is a kind of a non-volatile memory in which stored information does not disappear even if power is off, differently from a dynamic RAM (DRAM) or a static RAM (SRAM ). The use restriction contents of the program stored in flash memory 17 are not altered by the user at random. When altering the use restriction contents of the program stored in flash memory 17, that is, when increasing the number of the use frequency of the program used by the user, base station 50 instructs copyright management system 10 to update the number of the use frequency upon the receipt of the request in base station 50. Then, copyright management system 10 updates the number of the use frequency stored in flash memory 17 according to an instruction of base station 50. Also, when information representing that the program is in use via I/O unit 18 is input during performing the program, the number of the use frequency stored in flash memory 17 is decreased by "1 " whenever the information is input. To protect a copyright of the purchased program, if the program in use is beyond the limit with respect to the number of the program use frequency and the running time stored in flash memory 17, copyright management system 10 cannot use the program as there is no response to the request during performing the program. If the program version is continuously updated, base station 50 being a program supplier publishes the fact and transmits it to a user of

copyright management system 10 which constructs and manages a data base in hard disk 55. Base station 50 can use various methods for publishing version-updated programs. As an example, an automatic dialing function can be included in I/O units 13 and 14 of copyright management system 10. Meanwhile, when a user requests base station 50 to version -update the purchased program, the program version is updated via the same path as that of the program purchasing within the scope of the limit which permits the copyright of the program. The operational program for selling and purchasing programs is stored in memory 30 composed of a RAM in the user's PC 1, memory 16 composed of a ROM in copyright management system 10 contained in PC 1, and memory 55 composed of a RAM in base station 50, respectively, so as to give and take mutually necessary encoded instructions. Here, the mutual instructions and the selling programs communicating between base station 50 and copyright management system 10 have encoded patterns to prevent illegal use in the other copyright management systems having the other user ID numbers.

On the other hand, when each hardware component in copyright management system 10 is in an abnormal state, a program purchasing function or a management function for copyright protection of the purchased program is not normally performed. Thus, CPU 15 in copyright management system 10 checks all components by hardware according to an operational program stored in memory 16 composed of a ROM to recognize each state of the hardware, and then sends a state report to base station 50. Such a state checking operation can be performed at the time when power is supplied, before the program is purchased, or when the purchased program is performed. Also, control processor 53 in base station 50 can check states of the copyright management systems which are controlled according to the operational program stored in memory 55 composed of a RAM.

As described above, the present invention relates a management

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method and apparatus for copyright protection of a program-on-demand, and supplies a program which is sold and purchased via a communication network together with contents of limiting the number of use frequency and running time, to perform a program running within the scope of the use restriction contents. Accordingly, a copyright of the program which is supplied via the communication network can be protected and controlled.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The management method and apparatus for copyright protection of a program according to the present invention can be applied to a program-on-demand business and a video-on-demand business using a communication network. Also, the present invention can be applied to a bidirectional cable TV (CATV) system and an interactive CATV system.