Storage medium for preventing an illegal use by a third party

Claim 2

A vendor computer comprising: a personal key generating means for generating a medium key based on a medium personal number; an electronic data decrypting key; and an encrypting means for encrypting the electronic data decrypting key based on the medium key to generate an encrypted permission information.

Claim 3

A vendor computer as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a storage medium for storing a) encrypted electronic data, b) a medium personal number which is unique for each storage medium, and c) encrypted permission information, wherein at least the medium personal number is written onto the storage medium in an un-rewritable form which a user computer, which uses the storage medium, cannot rewrite.

Claim 4

A vendor computer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the electronic data is software used for a computer.

Claim 5

A vendor computer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the electronic data is electronically published data.

Claim 6

A vendor computer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the storage medium stores a plurality of encrypted electronic data, and each encrypted electronic data has a different electronic data descrypting key.

Claim 7

A vendor computer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the storage medium is an optical magnetic disk, or a partially embossed optical disk.

Claim 8

A vendor computer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the storage medium is a CD-ROM.

Claim 9

A user computer comprising: a personal key generating means for generating a medium key based on a medium personal number; a first decrypting means for decrypting encrypted permission information based on the medium key to generate an electronic data decrypting key which is the same as an electronic data decrypting key of a vendor computer; and a second decrypting means for decrypting an encrypted electronic data based on the electronic data decrypting key to generate a plain text electronic data.

Claim 10

A user computer comprising: a personal key generating means for generating a medium key based on a medium personal number; a first decrypting means for decrypting encrypted permission information based on the medium key to generate an electronic data decrypting key which is the same as an electronic data decrypting key of a vendor computer; and a second decrypting means for decrypting an encrypted electronic data based on the electronic data decrypting key to generate a plain text electronic data.

Claim 11

A user computer as claimed in claim 8, further comprising: a storage medium for storing a) encrypted electronic data, b) a medium personal number which is unique for each storage medium, and c) encrypted permission information, wherein at least the medium personal number is written onto the storage medium in an un-rewritable form which said user computer cannot rewrite.

Claim 12

A user computer as claimed in claim 9, wherein the electronic data is software used for a computer.

Claim 13

A user computer as claimed in claim 9, wherein the electronic data is electronically published data.

Claim 14

A user computer as claimed in claim 9, wherein the storage medium stores a plurality of encrypted electronic data, and each encrypted electronic data has a different electronic data descrypting key.

Claim 15

A user computer as claimed in claim 9, wherein the storage medium is an optical magnetic disk, or a partially embossed optical disk.

Claim 16

A user computer as claimed in claim 9, wherein the storage medium is a CD-ROM.

Claim 17

A vendor computer comprising: a personal key generating means for generating a medium key based on a medium personal number: an electronic data decrypting key; and an encrypting means for encrypting the electronic data decrypting key based on the medium key to generate an encrypted permission information; and a storage medium for storing a) encrypted electronic data and b) a medium personal number which is unique for each storage medium, wherein at least the medium personal number is written onto the storage medium in an unrewritable form which a user computer, which uses the storage medium, cannot rewrite.

Claim 18

A vendor computer comprising: a personal key generating means for generating a medium key based on a medium personal number: an electronic data decrypting key; and an encrypting means for encrypting the electronic data decrypting key based on the medium key to generate an encrypted permission information; and a storage medium for storing a) encrypted electronic data and b) a medium personal number which is unique for each storage medium, wherein at least the medium personal number is written onto the storage medium in an unrewritable form which a user computer, which uses the storage medium, cannot rewrite.

Claim 19

A vendor computer as claimed in claim 15, wherein the electronic data is software used for a computer.

Claim 20

A vendor computer as claimed in claim 15, wherein the electronic data is electronically published data.

Claim 21

A vendor computer as claimed in claim 15, wherein the storage medium is an optical magnetic disk, or a partially embossed optical disk.

Claim 22

A vendor computer as claimed in claim 15, wherein the storage medium is a CD-ROM.

Claim 23

A user computer comprising: a personal key generating means for generating a medium key based on a medium personal number; a first decrypting means for decrypting encrypted permission information based on the medium key to generate an electronic data decrypting key which is the same as an electronic data decrypting key of a vendor computer; and a second decrypting means for decrypting an encrypted data based on the electronic data decrypting key to generate a plain text electronic data; and a storage medium for storing a) encrypted electronic data and b) a medium number which is unique for each storage medium, wherein at least the medium personal number is written onto the storage medium in an un-rewritable form which said user computer cannot rewrite.

Claim 24

A user computer comprising: a personal key generating means for generating a medium key based on a medium personal number; a first decrypting means for decrypting encrypted permission information based on the medium key to generate an electronic data decrypting key which is the same as an electronic data decrypting key of a vendor computer; and a second decrypting means for decrypting an encrypted data based on the electronic data decrypting key to generate a plain text electronic data; and a storage medium for storing a) encrypted electronic data and b) a medium number which is unique for each storage medium, wherein at least the medium personal number is written onto the storage medium in an un-rewritable form which said user computer cannot rewrite.

Claim 25

A user computer as claimed in claim 20, wherein the electronic data is software used for a computer.

Claim 26

A user computer as claimed in claim 20, wherein the electronic data is electronically published data.

Claim 27

A user computer as claimed in claim 20, wherein the storage medium is an optical magnetic disk, or partially embossed optical disk.

Claim 28

A user computer as claimed in claim 20, wherein the storage medium is a CD-ROM.

Claim 29

A vendor computer as claimed in claim 15, wherein the encrypted permission information is written onto another storage medium being different from the storage medium for storing the encrypted electronic data and the medium personal number.

Claim 30

A vendor computer as claimed in claim 15, wherein the encrypted permission information is transferred to the user computer through a transmission line.

Claim 31

A user computer as claimed in claim 20, wherein the encrypted permission information is supplied by means of another storage medium being different from the storage medium for storing the encrypted electronic data and the medium personal number.

Claim 32

A user computer as claimed in claim 20, wherein the encrypted permission information is received from the vendor computer through a transmission line.