Information processing apparatus, method, and program

1. An information processing apparatus that processes content data supplied in a format that has at least a metadata region in which metadata of a content is stored, the apparatus comprising:

acquisition means for acquiring the content data in said format, the content data containing the content and encrypted metadata stored in the metadata region, and for acquiring decryption information for decrypting the encrypted metadata in response to a determination that the apparatus, in connection with a source that supplies the content data, is a member of a supplementary service, the encrypted metadata being encrypted apart from the content;

decryption means for decrypting the encrypted metadata stored in the metadata region using the decryption information when the decryption information is acquired and the content is selected or reproduced; and

supplementary service providing means for providing the supplementary service by recommending another content based on similarities between metadata of the another content and the metadata decrypted by said decryption means, wherein

the decrypted metadata is either data representing a genre of the content or data expressing an impression of the content, and

the content data contains the content and the encrypted metadata stored in the metadata region as a single file.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , the apparatus further comprising:

authentication means for performing an authentication process in connection with a server that supplies the content data to determine whether the apparatus is a member of the supplementary service, wherein

said acquisition means acquires the decryption information by receiving the decryption information from the server, separate from the content data, after the authentication process is completed.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, said format is a MP3 (MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group)-1 Audio Layer-3), and the metadata region is an extended tag or a frame within an ID3 tag.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the metadata is written in a language that has adopted a description logic.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the language is an ontology language OWL.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein,

the content is audio data or video data, and

the information processing apparatus is a reproducing apparatus that reproduces the content.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the content is unencrypted in the content data.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the content data includes an unencrypted metadata which includes information other than information included in the encrypted metadata, and

in response to a determination that the apparatus, in connection with the source that supplies the content data, is not a member of the supplementary service, the encrypted metadata remains encrypted while the unencrypted metadata and the content are accessible for selection or playback.

9. An information processing method employed by an information processing apparatus that processes content data supplied in a format that has at least a metadata region in which metadata of a content is stored, the method comprising:

acquiring the content data in said format, the content data containing the content and encrypted metadata stored in the metadata region;

acquiring decryption information for decrypting the encrypted metadata in response to a determination that the apparatus, in connection with a source that supplies the content data, is a member of a supplementary service, the encrypted metadata being encrypted apart from the content;

decrypting the encrypted metadata stored in the metadata region using the decryption information when the decryption information is acquired and the content is selected or reproduced; and

providing the supplementary service by recommending another content based on similarities between metadata of the another content and the decrypted metadata, wherein

the decrypted metadata is either data representing a genre of the content or data expressing an impression of the content, and

the content data contains the content and the encrypted metadata stored in the metadata region as a single file.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the content is unencrypted in the content data.

11. A non-transitory storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor causes processing of content data supplied in a format that has at least a metadata region in which metadata of a content is stored according to a method, the method comprising:

acquiring the content data in said format, the content data containing the content and encrypted metadata stored in the metadata region;

acquiring decryption information for decrypting the encrypted metadata in response to a determination that the apparatus, in connection with a source that supplies the content data, is a member of a supplementary service, the encrypted metadata being encrypted apart from the content;

decrypting the encrypted metadata stored in the metadata region using the decryption information when the decryption information is acquired and the content is selected or reproduced; and

providing the supplementary service by recommending another content based on similarities between metadata of the another content and the decrypted metadata, wherein

the decrypted metadata is either data representing a genre of the content or data expressing an impression of the content, and

the content data contains the content and the encrypted metadata stored in the metadata region as a single file.

12. The storage medium according to claim 11 , wherein the content is unencrypted in the content data.

13. An information processing apparatus that processes content data supplied in a format that has at least a metadata region in which metadata of a content is stored, the apparatus comprising:

an acquisition unit configured to acquire the content data in said format, the content data containing the content and encrypted metadata stored in the metadata region, the acquisition unit further configured to acquire decryption information to decrypt the encrypted metadata in response to a determination that the apparatus, in connection with a source that supplies the content data, is a member of a supplementary service, the encrypted metadata being encrypted apart from the content;

a decryptor configured to decrypt the encrypted metadata stored in the metadata region using the decryption information when the decryption information is acquired and the content is selected or reproduced; and

a supplementary service providing unit configured to provide the supplementary service based on similarities between metadata of the another content and the metadata decrypted by said decryptor, wherein

the metadata decrypted by said decryptor is either data representing a genre of the content or data expressing an impression of the content, and

the content data contains the content and the encrypted metadata stored in the metadata region as a single file.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the content is unencrypted in the content data.