WO2008048034A1

WO2008048034A1 - Method of managing copyright information of digital contents, device and method of controlling the replay of the digital contents, and recording medium containing the copyright information

Info

Publication number: WO2008048034A1
Application number: PCT/KR2007/005059
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yoon Sang Jung; Yong Soo Shin
Original assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Current assignee: LG Electronics Inc
Priority date: 2006-10-16
Filing date: 2007-10-16
Publication date: 2008-04-24
Anticipated expiration: 2009-04-16
Also published as: KR20060113869A

Abstract

This document relates to a method of managing copyright information of digital contents, a device and method of controlling the replay of the digital contents, and a recording medium containing the copyright information. This document may record and manage the copyright information, which determines the validity/ invalidity of DRM information recorded in meta data of the digital contents such as music, movies, and the like, in association with the DRM information, and effectively control the replay of the digital contents of which the copyright has expired with reference to the DRM information and copyright information.

Description

D E S C R I P T I O N

METHOD OF MANAGING COPYRIGHT INFORMATION OF DIGITAL CONTENTS, DEVICE AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING THE REPLAY OF THE DIGITAL CONTENTS, AND RECORDING MEDIUM CONTAINING THE COPYRIGHT INFORMATION

1. Technical Field

This document relates to a method of managing copyright information of digital contents, a device and method of controlling the replay of the digital contents, and a recording medium containing the copyright information. 2. Background Art

In general, Digital Rights Management (DRM), a representative technology for preventing the unauthorized replay and unlawful copy of digital contents, has been widely used.

DRM is a technology for protecting the rights and profits of providers who provide digital contents and supporting the whole of charging and payment for the use of the digital contents from contents creation to distribution/ management.

DRM comprises the whole of a digital copyright management technology for allowing only lawful users to use digital contents and pay reasonable fees, a software and security technology for copyright acknowledgement and execution, and a payment/billing technology.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of general meta data and digital contents. For example, a data stream of various types of paid digital contents such as music, movies, and the like is recorded by a DRM key value for encoding in an encrypted state.

As shown in FIG. 1, file information, DRM information, copyprotection information, and the like can be comprised and recorded in management information, e.g., meta data for controlling the replay of the digital contents. File name information, file size information, file attribute information, and the like are recorded in the file information. DRM identifier information, DRM enable information, Uniform Resource Locator (URL) information, and the like are recorded in the DRM information. Copy enable information and the like are recorded in the copy protection information. If the DRM enable information has a value of '1' representing an enabled state for example, it is meant that a data stream of the digital contents corresponding to the DRM enable information is encrypted by an inherent DRM key value for encoding.

When several types of terminals such as Personal Computers (PCs) or digital multimedia players replay the digital contents encrypted by the DRM key value, the terminals search and refer to the URL information comprised in the DRM information.

In connection with a server linked with the URL information, e.g., a digital contents provider server through a network, the terminals perform a process of user authentication and bill payment and receive the DRM key value provided by the server.

The terminals decrypt the encrypted data stream using the DRM key value received from the server and process the decrypted data stream into an audio/ video signal as a replay signal. Thus, the terminals can normally replay digital contents desired by users through a lawful- user authentication and bill payment process. However, there is a drawback that even digital contents of which the copyright has expired are unnecessarily subjected to the user authentication and bill payment process and the like because copyright relation information, e.g., copyright expiration date information and the like is not comprised in the meta data in which the DRM information is comprised and recorded. 3. Disclosure of the Invention In an aspect, there is provided a method of managing copyright information of digital contents. DRM information is recorded within meta data of digital contents and concurrently, copyright information, which determines the validity/invalidity of the DRM information, is recorded and managed in association with the DRM information.

In another aspect, there is provided a method of controlling the replay of digital contents. The method comprises searching copyright information associated with the digital contents and determining the validity/ invalidity of DRM information recorded in meta data of the digital contents; if valid, receiving a DRM key value through an interface with a server connected through a network and decrypting the digital contents and, if invalid, identifying whether a DRM key value has been recorded in the DRM information; and if recorded, decrypting the digital contents using the DRM key value and, if not recorded, receiving a DRM key value through the interface with the server connected through the network, decrypting the digital contents, and recording the DRM key value in the DRM information.

In a further another aspect, there is provided a method of controlling the replay of digital contents. The method comprises searching copyright information associated with the digital contents and determining the validity/invalidity of DRM information recorded in meta data of the digital contents; if valid, decrypting the digital contents using an inherent key value stored as a DRM key value within a terminal and, if invalid, identifying whether a DRM key value has been recorded in the DRM information; and if recorded, decrypting the digital contents using the DRM key value and, if not recorded, decrypting the digital contents using the inherent key value stored as the DRM key value within the terminal, and recording the inherent key value in the DRM information.

In a yet another aspect, there is provided a method of controlling the replay of digital contents. The method comprises searching country expiration date information among copyright information associated with the digital contents and determining whether DRM information recorded in meta data of the digital contents is invalid for all countries; and if invalid for all countries, decrypting the digital contents using a DRM key value and interchangeably recording the decrypted digital contents.

In a still another aspect, there is provided a device of controlling the replay of digital contents. The device comprises a reader, a processor, a receiver, and a controller. The reader reads a data stream of the digital contents and meta data from a recording medium. The processor decrypts the data stream of the digital contents and processes the decrypted data stream into a replay signal. The receiver receives a DRM key value necessary for decryption from a server connected through a network. The controller searches copyright information associated with the digital contents and determines the validity/ invalidity of DRM information recorded in the meta data of the digital contents. If valid, the controller receives the DRM key value through the interface with the server and, if invalid, identifies whether a DRM key value has been recorded in the DRM information. If recorded, the controller decrypts the digital contents using the DRM key value and, if not recorded, receives the DRM key value through the interface with the server, decrypts the digital contents, and records the DRM key value in the DRM information.

In a still another aspect, there is provided a device of controlling the replay of digital contents. The device comprises a reader, a processor, a receiver, and a controller. The reader reads a data stream of the digital contents and meta data from a recording medium. The processor decrypts the data stream of the digital contents and processes the decrypted data stream into a replay signal. The receiver receives a DRM key value necessary for decryption from a server connected through a network. The controller searches copyright information associated with the digital contents and determines the validity/ invalidity of DRM information recorded in the meta data of the digital contents. If valid, the controller decrypts the digital contents using an inherent key value stored as a DRM key value within a terminal and, if invalid, identifies whether a DRM key value has been recorded in the DRM information. If recorded, the controller decrypts the digital contents using the recorded DRM key value and, if not recorded, decrypts the digital contents using the inherent key value stored as the DRM key value within the terminal and records the inherent key value in the DRM information.

In a still another aspect, there is provided a device of controlling the replay of digital contents. The device comprises a reader, a processor, and a controller. The reader reads a data stream of the digital contents and meta data from a recording medium. The processor decrypts the data stream of the digital contents and processes the decrypted data stream into a replay signal. The controller searches copyright information associated with the digital contents and determines the validity/invalidity of DRM information recorded in the meta data of the digital contents. The controller searches country expiration date information among the copyright information associated with the digital contents and determines whether the DRM information recorded in the meta data of the digital contents is invalid for all countries. If invalid for all countries, the controller decrypted the digital contents using a DRM key value and interchangeably records the decrypted digital contents. In a still another aspect, there is provided a recording medium. DRM information is recorded within meta data of digital contents, and copyright information, which determines the validity/invalidity of the DRM information, is recorded in association with the DRM information.

The copyright information may be recorded in a specific region within the meta data or maybe recorded in a record region separate from the meta data. The copyright information may comprise at least one of author information of the digital contents, existence date information, and copyright expiration date information.

The copyright expiration date information may be distinguished and recorded differently on a per-country basis. The country copyright expiration date information may be updated and recorded through an interface with a server connected through a network The copyright information may further comprise copyright identifier information and country URL information. At least one of DRM identifier information, DRM enabled or disabled information, and URL information maybe recorded in the DRM information.

The DRM enabled or disabled information maybe modified, changing from an enabled state to a disabled state or from the disabled state to the enabled state, in dependent on validity/ invalidity determination based on the copyright information.

When the DRM enabled or disabled information is modified, changing from the enabled state to the disabled state, DRM key information may be additionally recorded in the DRM information. The DRM key information may be received from a server connected through a network or is an inherent code value stored in a terminal. The DRM key information is additionally recorded in the DRM information or is recorded in a record region separate from the DRM information.

Further features will be apparent from the following description, including the drawings, and the claims.

4. Brief Description of the Drawings

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of general meta data and digital contents; FIG. 2 illustrates an implementation in which copyright information is recorded in meta data; FIG. 3 illustrates an implementation in which a terminal to which this document is applied and a server connect with each other through a network;

FIG. 4 illustrates an implementation in which a DRM entry is recorded and managed in a database of a server to which this document is applied;

FIG. 5 illustrates an implementation in which DRM information of meta data is modified by a terminal to which this document is applied; and

FIG. 6 illustrates an implementation in which digital contents are interchangeably recorded in a decrypted state by a terminal to which this document is applied. 5. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

Hereinafter, an implementation of this document will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, in which a method of managing copyright information of digital contents, a device and method of controlling the replay of the digital contents, and a recording medium containing the copyright information are shown.

In the method of managing copyright information of digital contents of this document, for example, copyright information on diverse types of digital contents such as music or movies encrypted by a DRM key value are recorded and managed.

The copyright information is, for example, supplementary information for determining the validity/ invalidity of DRM information comprised and recorded in meta data as shown in

FIG. 2. The copyright information can be comprised and recorded in a specific region within the meta data or can be comprised and recorded in a header region, a tag region, or the like of the digital contents.

The copyright information can be recorded and managed in a lookup table format within a terminal such as a multimedia player and the like for replaying the digital contents.

Copyright identifier information, author information, author existence date information, and copyright expiration date information, URL information, and the like are comprised and recorded in the copyright information.

The copyright expiration date information and the URL information can be recorded and managed differently on a per-country basis. For example, in the event of the same music contents assigned the copyright on 1 January 1950, a copyright expiration date of Korea can be recorded as 1 January 2000 that is 50 years after a copyright date and a copyright expiration date of U.S.A. can be recorded as 1 January 2020 that is 70 years after the copyright date.

A country copyright expiration date can be arbitrarily modified in compliance with international agreements such as Free Trade Agreement (FTA). A country copyright date and expiration date can be recorded in association, together.

The URL information is an Internet Protocol (IP) address value for, as shown in FIG. 3, a specific server 300 to connect through a network 200 such as the Internet, e.g., a copyrights authentication server or a digital contents provider server to which this document is applied. The URL information can be distinguished and recorded as country URL information.

In FIG. 3, the terminal such as a PC and a multimedia player to which the device and method of controlling the replay of the digital contents are applied comprises a Central Processing Unit (QPU) 10, a data processor 11, a decryption engine 12, a coder/ decoder (codec) 13, a storage 14, a memory, a network module 16, and the like.

The storage 14 can be a diversity of types of storages such as a Hard Disc Drive (HDD) fixedly installed within a terminal, an optical disc used as inserted or adhered to the terminal, a memory stick, or the like.

As aforementioned in FIG. 2, the storage 14 records meta data in which copyright information is comprised and recorded, in association with a data stream of digital contents encrypted by an inherent DRM key value.

In cases where any digital contents recorded in the storage 14 are replayed in response to a user's request, the CPU 10 controls the codec 13, searches meta data recorded in association in the digital contents and refers to file information (File lnfo), DRM information (DRM_Info), and copyright information (Copyrights lnfo) that are comprised and recorded in the meta data.

The CPU 10 determines that the digital contents are a data stream encrypted by an inherent DRM key value if DRM enabled information (DRM enabled) comprised and recorded in the DRM information has been recorded as ¹I ', for example.

In order to determine the validity/ invalidity of the DRM enabled information, the CPU 10 searches country copyright expiration date information comprised and recorded in the copyright information. For example, the CPU 10 selectively searches Korea copyright expiration date information among country copyright expiration date information when a country code is equal to Korea (e.g., KR) that is stored and managed in the memory 15 or the storage 14 through a terminal manufacture or sale process and the like.

The CPU 10 compares the searched Korea copyright expiration date information with a current date. For example, assuming that Korea copyright expiration date is 1 January 2000 and a current date is 1 January 2007, the CPU 10 determines the DRM enabled information as invalid. The CPU 10 selectively searches Korea URL information (KR_URL # ) among country

URL information, which are comprised and recorded in the copyright information, and then controls the network module 16 to connect with the server 300 linked to the Korea URL information. After that, the CPU 10 transmits the file information, the DRM information, the copyright information, and the like to the server 300. The CPU 10 interfaces with the server 300, receiving an inherent DRM key value, a new version of copyright information, and the like. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a DRM database (DRM_Database) managed by the server 300 distinguishes and manages a DRM identifier (DRM identifier), a DRM key value (DRM_key value), and a function index value (function index value for disable drm), which is previously defined to modify a DRM enabled state into a DRM disabled state, in one DRM entry (DRM Entry).

Copyright identifier information, author information, author existence date information, and country expiration date information, and the like are comprised and recorded as copyright information (Copyrights_Info) in the DRM entry.

The server 300 interfaces with the CPU 10, performing a general user authentication and bill payment process. For example, the server 300 transmits the DRM key value recorded and managed in the DRM entry and the function index value for modification into the DRM disabled state, to the CPU 10 when a copyright expiration date lapses as a result of referring to the file information, the DRM information, the copyright information, and the like that are received from the CPU 10.

Upon receiving the DRM key value and the function index value for modification into the DRM disabled state through the above process, the CPU 10 records the DRM key value in the DRM information of the meta data as shown in FIG. 5, for example.

The CPU 10 executes a function of an algorithm instructed by the function index value, modifying the DRM enabled information (DRM_enabled) recorded in the DRM information into the DRM disabled state and recording the modified DRM enabled information. For instance, the CPU 10 executes the function of the algorithm that is stored and managed in the memory 15 and the like or is provided through an interface with the server 30 and modifies a value of '1' recorded in the DRM enabled information into a value of '0' representing the DRM disabled state.

The CPU 10 outputs the DRM key value to the decryption engine 12. The decryption engine 12 decrypts a data stream, which is read and decoded by the codec 13, using the DRM key value.

Because the data processor 11 processes the decrypted data stream into an audio signal or video signal, the data processor 11 normally processes the replay of digital contents requested by a user, e.g., digital contents of which the copyright has expired in Korea.

If there is again a request for the replay of the digital contents replayed through the above process, the CPU 10 searches meta data linked to the digital contents. As shown in FIG. 5, because DRM disabled information (DRM_disabled) and a DRM key value are recorded in DRM information recorded in the meta data, the CPU 10 determines that the digital contents are equal to contents of which the copyright has expired.

The CPU 10 outputs the DRM key value to the decryption engine 12. The decryption engine 12 decrypts a data stream, which is read and decoded by the codec 13, using the DRM key value. Because the data processor 11 processes the decrypted data stream into an audio signal or video signal, the data processor 11 can normally process the replay of the digital contents despite no interfacing with the server.

In a different implementation of this document, as shown in FIG. 6, the CPU 10 controls the decryption engine 12 to decrypt an encrypted data stream for replay after outputting a DRM key value (DRM_key) received from the server 300 to the decryption engine 12 in cases where country copyright expiration dates recorded in copyright information all pass after a current date (e.g., 1 January 2007), for example.

By controlling the codec 13 to record the decrypted data stream, the CPU 10 can process a data stream of digital contents of which country copyright expiration dates all lapse into a replay signal despite no longer decryption. Meantime, a data stream of digital contents can be encrypted by an inherent code value, e.g., a terminal serial number that is stored and managed in the memory 15 or the storage 14. In this case, the server 300 does not have to provide a DRM key value separately.

Despite no interfacing with the server 300, the CPU 10 can decrypt a data stream of digital contents of which the copyright has expired, using an inherent code value such as a terminal serial number.

Meantime, when interfacing with the CPU 10, the server 300 identifies a country or area in which a terminal is positioned with reference to an inherent IP address value assigned to the network module 16.

With reference to file information, DRM information, copyright information, and the like received from the CPU 10, the server 300 selectively searches any DRM entry in the DRM database for storage and management as shown in FIG. 4.

When a new version of copyright information recorded in the searched DRM entry is different from the copyright information received from the CPU 10 through a comparison, the server 300 transmits the copyright information recorded in the DRM entry to the CPU 10. For example, when country copyright expiration date information of the copyright information received from the CPU 10 is different from a new version of country copyright expiration date information recorded in the DRM entry, the server 300 transmits the new version of country copyright expiration date information to the CPU 10.

The CPU 10 updates and records the new version of country copyright expiration date information received from the server 300 within the meta data. For example, in the event that a copyright expiration period of Korea is extended from 50 to 70 years in compliance with international agreements such as FTA, the CPU 10 can receive, modify, and record the new version of country copyright expiration date information provided from the server 300.

Meantime, if the CPU 10 modifies DRM enabled information (e.g., ¹I) recorded in DRM information within the meta data into DRM disabled information (e.g., 'O^*) and records the modified DRM disabled information, for example, though copy protection information within the meta data is recorded as a value (e.g., 'I) representing an enabled state, the CPU 10 disregards this and allows copying of digital contents of which the copyright has expired.

In the event that it is determined that the copyright of any digital contents has expired through an interface with the terminal 100 connected through the network 200, the server 300 can also update and store the decrypted digital contents in the database.

When the updated and stored digital contents are provided to any terminal connected through the network 200, a separate fee is not charged such that the digital contents of which the copyright has already expired are not billed unnecessarily.

While the document has been disclosed with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art, having the benefit of this disclosure, will appreciate numerous modifications and variations therefrom. It is intended that all such modifications and variations fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

C L AI M S

1. A method of managing copyright information of digital contents, wherein DRM information is recorded within meta data of digital contents and concurrently, copyright information, which determines the validity/invalidity of the DRM information, is recorded and managed in association with the DRM information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the copyright information is recorded in a specific region within the meta data or is recorded in a record region separate from the meta data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the copyright information comprises at least one of author information of the digital contents, existence date information, and copyright expiration date information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the copyright expiration date information is distinguished and managed differently on a per-country basis.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the country copyright expiration date information is updated and recorded through an interface with a server connected through a network

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the copyright information further comprises copyright identifier information and country Uniform Resource Locator (URL) information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of DRM identifier information, DRM enabled or disabled information, and URL information is recorded in the DRM information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the DRM enabled or disabled information is modified, changing from an enabled state to a disabled state or from the disabled state to the enabled state, in dependent on validity/invalidity determination based on the copyright information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein when the DRM enabled or disabled information is modified, changing from the enabled state to the disabled state, DRM key information is additionally recorded in the DRM information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the DRM key information is received from a server connected through a network or is an inherent code value stored in a terminal, and wherein the DRM key information is additionally recorded in the DRM information or is recorded and managed in a record region separate from the DRM information.

11. A method of controlling the replay of digital contents, comprising: searching copyright information associated with the digital contents and determining the validity/ invalidity of DRM information recorded in meta data of the digital contents; if valid, receiving a DRM key value through an interface with a server connected through a network and decrypting the digital contents and, if invalid, identifying whether a DRM key value has been recorded in the DRM information; and if recorded, decrypting the digital contents using the DRM key value and, if not recorded, receiving a DRM key value through the interface with the server connected through the network, decrypting the digital contents, and recording the DRM key value in the DRM information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the copyright information comprises at least one of author information of the digital contents, existence date information, country copyright expiration date information, copyright identifier information, and country URL information.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the searching and determining searches country copyright expiration date information among the copyright information associated with the digital contents and country code information, which is set within a terminal, and determines the validity/invalidity of the DRM information recorded in the meta data of the digital contents based on country copyright expiration date information and country code information.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein at least any one of DRM identifier information, DRM enabled or disabled information, and URL information is recorded and concurrently, DRM key information is selectively recorded in the DRM information.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the decrypting and identifying comprises: if valid, maintaining or modifying the DRM enabled or disabled information in an enabled state; receiving the DRM key value through the interface with the server connected through the network and decrypting the digital contents; and if invalid, identifying whether the DRM key value has been recorded in the DRM information.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the decrypting and recording comprises: if recorded, decrypting the digital contents using the DRM key value; if not recorded, receiving the DRM key value through the interface with the server connected through the network, decrypting the digital contents, and recording the DRM key value in the DRM information; and modifying enabled or disabled information recorded in the DRM information, changing from an enabled state to a disabled state.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein if it is determined that the copyright of any digital contents has expired through the interface between the server and a terminal connecting through the network, the server updates and stores the decrypted digital contents.

18. A method of controlling the replay of digital contents, comprising: searching copyright information associated with the digital contents and determining the validity/ invalidity of DRM information recorded in meta data of the digital contents; if valid, decrypting the digital contents using an inherent key value stored as a DRM key value within a terminal and, if invalid, identifying whether a DRM key value has been recorded in the DRM information; and if recorded, decrypting the digital contents using the DRM key value and, if not recorded, decrypting the digital contents using the inherent key value stored as the DRM key value within the terminal, and recording the inherent key value in the DRM information.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the copyright information comprises at least one of author information of the digital contents, existence date information, country copyright expiration date information, copyright identifier information, and country URL information.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the searching and determining searches country copyright expiration date information among the copyright information associated with the digital contents and country code information, which is set within a terminal, and determines the validity/invalidity of the DRM information recorded in the meta data of the digital contents based on country copyright expiration date information and country code information.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein at least any one of DRM identifier information, DRM enabled or disabled information, and URL information is recorded and concurrently, DRM key information is selectively recorded in the DRM information.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the decrypting and identifying comprises: if valid, maintaining or modifying the DRM enabled or disabled information in an enabled state; decrypting the digital contents using the inherent key value stored as the DRM key value within the terminal; and if invalid, identifying whether the DRM key value has been recorded in the DRM information.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the decrypting and recording comprises: if recorded, decrypting the digital contents using the DRM key value; if not recorded, decrypting the digital contents using the inherent key value stored as the DRM key value within the terminal; and recording the inherent key value as the DRM key value in the DRM information and modifying enabled or disabled information recorded in the DRM information, changing from an enabled state to a disabled state.

24. A method of controlling the replay of digital contents, comprising: searching country expiration date information among copyright information associated with the digital contents and determining whether DRM information recorded in meta data of the digital contents is invalid for all countries; and if invalid for all countries, decrypting the digital contents using a DRM key value and interchangeably recording the decrypted digital contents.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the DRM key value is received through an interface with a server connected through a network, or is an inherent key value stored as a DRM key value within a terminal, or is comprised and recorded in the DRM information.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the interchangeably recording further comprises: modifying or maintaining DRM enabled or disabled information recorded in the DRM information in a disabled state.

27. A device of controlling the replay of digital contents, comprising: a reader for reading a data stream of the digital contents and meta data from a recording medium; a processor for decrypting the data stream of the digital contents and processing the decrypted data stream into a replay signal; a receiver for receiving a DRM key value necessary for decryption from a server connected through a network; and a controller for searching copyright information associated with the digital contents and determining the validity/ invalidity of DRM information recorded in the meta data of the digital contents, wherein if valid, the controller receives the DRM key value through the interface with the server and, if invalid, identifies whether a DRM key value has been recorded in the DRM information, and if recorded, the controller decrypts the digital contents using the DRM key value and, if not recorded, receives the DRM key value through the interface with the server, decrypts the digital contents, and records the DRM key value in the DRM information.

28. The device of claim 27, wherein the copyright information comprises at least one of author information of the digital contents, existence date information, country copyright expiration date information, copyright identifier information, and country URL information.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the controller searches country copyright expiration date information among the copyright information associated with the digital contents and country code information, which is set within a terminal, and determines the validity/invalidity of the DRM information recorded in the meta data of the digital contents based on country copyright expiration date information and country code information.

30. The device of claim 27, wherein at least any one of DRM identifier information, DRM enabled or disabled information, and URL information is recorded and concurrently, DRM key information is selectively recorded in the DRM information.

31. The device of claim 30, wherein if valid, the controller maintains or modifies the

DRM enabled or disabled information in an enabled state, receives the DRM key value through the interface with the server and decrypts the digital contents; and if invalid, identifies whether the DRM key value has been recorded in the DRM information.

32. The device of claim 27, wherein if recorded, the controller decrypts the digital contents using the DRM key value, if not recorded, receives the DRM key value through the interface with the server, decrypts the digital contents, and records the DRM key value in the DRM information, and modifies enabled or disabled information recorded in the DRM information, changing from an enabled state to a disabled state.

33. The device of claim 27, wherein if it is determined that the copyright of any digital contents has expired through an interface between the server and a terminal connecting through the network, the server updates and stores the decrypted digital contents.

34. A device of controlling the replay of digital contents, comprising: a reader for reading a data stream of the digital contents and meta data from a recording medium; a processor for decrypting the data stream of the digital contents and processing the decrypted data stream into a replay signal; a receiver for receiving a DRM key value necessary for decryption from a server connected through a network; and a controller for searching copyright information associated with the digital contents and determining the validity/ invalidity of DRM information recorded in the meta data of the digital contents, wherein if valid, the controller decrypts the digital contents using an inherent key value stored as a DRM key value within a terminal and, if invalid, identifies whether a DRM key value has been recorded in the DRM information, and if recorded, the controller decrypts the digital contents using the recorded DRM key value and, if not recorded, decrypts the digital contents using the inherent key value stored as the DRM key value within the terminal and records the inherent key value in the DRM information.

35. The device of claim 34, wherein the copyright information comprises at least one of author information of the digital contents, existence date information, country copyright expiration date information, copyright identifier information, and country URL information.

36. The device of claim 35, wherein the controller searches country copyright expiration date information among the copyright information associated with the digital contents and country code information, which is set within a terminal, and determines the validity/invalidity of the DRM information recorded in the meta data of the digital contents based on country copyright expiration date information and country code information.

37. The device of claim 34, wherein at least any one of DRM identifier information, DRM enabled or disabled information, and URL information is recorded and concurrently, DRM key information is selectively recorded in the DRM information.

38. The device of claim 37, wherein if valid, the controller maintains or modifies the DRM enabled or disabled information in an enabled state, decrypts the digital contents using the inherent key value stored as the DRM key value within the terminal; and if invalid, identifies whether the DRM key value has been recorded in the DRM information.

39. The device of claim 34, wherein if recorded, the controller decrypts the digital contents using the DRM key value, if not recorded, decrypts the digital contents using the inherent key value stored as the DRM key value within the terminal, and records the inherent key value as the DRM key value in the DRM information and modifies the enabled or disabled information recorded in the DRM information, changing from an enabled state to a disabled state.

40. A device of controlling the replay of digital contents, comprising: a reader for reading a data stream of the digital contents and meta data from a recording medium; a processor for decrypting the data stream of the digital contents and processing the decrypted data stream into a replay signal; and a controller for searching copyright information associated with the digital contents and determining the validity/ invalidity of DRM information recorded in the meta data of the digital contents, wherein the controller searches country expiration date information among the copyright information associated with the digital contents and determining whether the DRM information recorded in the meta data of the digital contents is invalid for all countries, and if invalid for all countries, decrypting the digital contents using a DRM key value and interchangeably recording the decrypted digital contents.

41. The device of claim 40, wherein the DRM key value is received through an interface with a server connected through a network, or is an inherent key value stored as a DRM key value within a terminal, or is comprised and recorded in the DRM information.

42. The device of claim 40, wherein when the decrypted digital contents are interchangeably recorded, the controller modifies or maintains DRM enabled or disabled information, which is recorded in the DRM information, in a disabled state.

43. A recording medium, wherein DRM information is recorded within meta data of digital contents, and wherein copyright information, which determines the validity/ invalidity of the DRM information, is recorded in association with the DRM information.

44. The recording medium of claim 43, wherein the copyright information is recorded in a specific region within the meta data or is recorded in a record region separate from the meta data.

45. The recording medium of claim 43, wherein the copyright information comprises at least one of author information of the digital contents, existence date information, and copyright expiration date information.

46. The recording medium of claim 45, wherein the copyright expiration date information is distinguished and recorded differently on a per-country basis.

47. The recording medium of claim 46, wherein the country copyright expiration date information is updated and recorded through an interface with a server connected through a network.

48. The recording medium of claim 45, wherein the copyright information further comprises copyright identifier information and country URL information.

49. The recording medium of claim 43, wherein at least one of DRM identifier information, DRM enabled or disabled information, and URL information is recorded in the DRM information.

50. The recording medium of claim 49, wherein the DRM enabled or disabled information is modified, changing from an enabled state to a disabled state or from the disabled state to the enabled state, in dependent on validity/invalidity determination based on the copyright information.

51. The recording medium of claim 50, wherein when the DRM enabled or disabled information is modified, changing from the enabled state to the disabled state, DRM key information is additionally recorded in the DRM information.

52. The recording medium of claim 51, wherein the DRM key information is received from a server connected through a network or is an inherent code value stored in a terminal, and wherein the DRM key information is additionally recorded in the DRM information ord in a record region separate from the DRM information.