Electronic book distributing system by use of purchase certificate and devices therefor

Abstract

For changing services to readers who desires to obtain electronic books exactly or minutely, an electronic book management systemdistributes at least electronic purchase certificates relating to books which are stocked at a bookstores owing a bookstore terminal device, in advance, to that bookstore terminal device. When buying the book(s), a reader obtains in an IC cardowned by her/him a purchase certificate(s) of that book(s) which she/he bought, from the bookstore terminal. When ordering to obtain the electronic book(s), the reader transmits the purchase certificate(s) from a reader terminal deviceto the electronic book management systemthrough a communication network. The electronic book management systemchanges over it's service when supplying the electronic book(s) to that reader depending upon the existence of the purchase certificate(s).