Information providing apparatus and information providing method

1. An information providing apparatus adapted for a system where a plurality of types of content having identical title information may be sold in a plurality of sales modes, comprising:

a storing unit configured to store identification information on special content having identical title information but having different production details so that it is assumed that a standard of rating by a user is different;

a rating acquisition unit configured to acquire, from a terminal of a user who purchased one of the plurality of types of content, a title ID identifying title information of the purchased content, a sales unit ID identifying production details of the purchased content, and a rating for the purchased content;

a rating collection unit configured to determine, by collecting users' rating acquired with the same title ID, the degree of rating for the plurality of types based on the title information, if the plurality of types of content are not special content, and, to determine, by collecting users' rating acquired with the same sales unit ID, the degree of rating for the plurality of types of content based on the production details, if the plurality of types of content are special content; and

a rating information providing unit configured to provide, to an external apparatus, the degree of the user's rating for the plurality of types of content based on the title information, if the plurality of types of content are not special content, and to provide, to an external apparatus, the degree of the user's rating for the plurality of types of content based on the production details, if the plurality of types of content are special content.

2. The information providing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of types of content having the identical title information include both content that is rented to the user for a predetermined period of time and content that is sold to the user, and

the rating collection unit collects users' rating for the rented content and user's rating for the sold content and determines the same degree of rating for both of the content, if the plurality of types of content are not special content.

3. The information providing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the special content includes a piece of content having identical title information that includes a two-dimensional image; and a piece of content having identical title information that includes a three-dimensional image.

4. An information providing method performed by a processor of an information providing apparatus and adapted for a system where a plurality of types of content having identical title information may be sold in a plurality of sales modes, the method comprising:

acquiring, as input from an input device on a terminal of a user who purchased one of the plurality of types of content, a title ID identifying title information of the purchased content, a sales unit ID identifying production details of the purchased content, and a rating for the purchased content;

determining, by the processor of the information providing apparatus, by collecting users' ratings acquired with the same title ID, the degree of rating for the plurality of types of content based on the title information, if it is determined that the plurality of types of content are not special content by referring to identification information of special content, and determining, by collecting users' rating acquired with the same sales unit ID, the degree of rating for the plurality of types of content based on the production details, if the plurality of types of content are special content, the special content having identical title information but having different production details so that it is assumed that a standard of rating by a user is different; and

providing, by the processor of the information providing apparatus, to an external apparatus, the degree of the user's rating for the plurality of types of content based on the title information, if the plurality of types of content are not special content, and providing, to an external apparatus, the degree of the user's rating for the plurality of types of content based on the production details, if the plurality of types of content are special content.

5. A computer program product embedded on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the computer program product being adapted for a system where a plurality of types of content having identical title information may be sold in a plurality of sales modes, and including modules implemented by an information-providing apparatus and comprising:

storing identification information on special content having identical title information but having different production details so that it is assumed that a standard of rating by a user is different;

acquiring, from a terminal of a user who purchased one of the plurality of types of content, a title ID identifying title information of the purchased content, a sales unit ID identifying production details of the purchased content, and a rating for the purchased content;

determining, by collecting users' rating acquired with the same title ID, the degree of rating for the plurality of types of content based on the title information, if the plurality of types of content are not special content, and determining, by collecting users' rating acquired with the same sales unit ID, the degree of rating for the plurality of types of content based on the production details, if the plurality of types of content are special content; and

providing, to an external apparatus, the degree of the user's rating for the plurality of types of content based on the title information, if the plurality of types of content are not special content, and providing, to an external apparatus, the degree of the user's rating for the plurality of types of content based on the production details, if the plurality of types of content are special content.