JP7741373B2 - Information Processing Systems - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to an information processing system.

Patent Document 1 discloses technology that provides rewards to live commentary users when new players register or when the frequency of play increases for a game in which live commentary videos are distributed by the live commentary users.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-162881

When distributing videos that include gameplay footage, there is a risk that the videos may be distributed without the permission of the owners of the game rights.
In consideration of the above circumstances, this disclosure aims to curb unauthorized video distribution.

(1) According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an information processing system is provided. In an issuing step in this information processing system, license information indicating permission to distribute a video including specified content is issued. In a notifying step, the issued license information is notified to a user who wishes to distribute the video. In a grant determination step, when a video including the content is distributed, it is possible to determine whether or not license information has been granted to the video.

This approach makes it possible to curb unauthorized video distribution.

1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a game video distribution system 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the game server 10. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a game terminal 40. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the functional configuration of a control unit of each device. FIG. 10 is an activity diagram illustrating an example of an issuing process. 10 is an example of a distribution condition table. FIG. 10 is an activity diagram showing another example of the issuing process. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a displayed distribution rights screen. FIG. 10 is an activity diagram illustrating an example of a distribution process. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a video editing screen. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a video editing screen for assigning a license ID. FIG. 10 is an activity diagram illustrating an example of a condition determination process. FIG. 10 is an activity diagram showing an example of a payment request process.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are described below using the drawings. The various features shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other.

The program for realizing the software featured in this embodiment may be provided as a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, may be provided as a downloadable medium from an external server, or may be provided so that the program is launched on an external computer and its functions are realized on a client terminal (so-called cloud computing).

In this embodiment, the term "unit" can also include, for example, hardware resources implemented by circuits in the broad sense, and software information processing that can be specifically realized by these hardware resources. This embodiment handles a variety of information, which can be represented, for example, by physical signal values representing voltage and current, high and low signal values as a collection of binary bits consisting of 0 or 1, or quantum superposition (so-called quantum bits), and communication and calculations can be performed on circuits in the broad sense.

In a broad sense, a circuit is a circuit realized by at least an appropriate combination of a circuit, circuitry, processor, memory, etc. In other words, it includes application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (e.g., simple programmable logic devices (SPLDs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)), etc.

1. Hardware Configuration In this section, the hardware configuration of the game video distribution system according to this embodiment will be described.

Figure 1 shows the overall configuration of a game video distribution system 1. Game video distribution system 1 is a system that executes processing for distributing videos that include content, and is an example of an "information processing system." Content is anything that can be included in a video and that can be subject to some rights, such as copyright. Examples of content include games, music, animation, photographed images (either still images or moving images), broadcast programs (dramas, sports, variety shows, news, etc.), paintings, sculptures, books, poetry, etc.

In this embodiment, an example will be described in which a game is used as content. The games referred to here are so-called computer games, which can be played on game consoles, personal computers, smartphones, etc. Videos that include content, i.e., video that includes game screens, will be referred to as game videos below. Game screens here include not only screens of the game being played by the player, but also screens that are not in play, such as demos, effects, and movies. Game screens also include not only video but also still images.

Game video distribution system 1 comprises a communication line 2, a BC system 3 (BC = Blockchain), a game server 10, a video distribution server 20, a license management server 30, a game terminal 40, and a video editing terminal 50. Communication line 2 includes the Internet and mediates the exchange of data between devices connected to its own line. BC system 3 uses a blockchain mechanism to distribute and manage various information.

The blockchain system 3 comprises multiple node devices connected to each other via a P2P network (P2P = Peer to Peer). The blockchain system 3 divides transaction data, which indicates the history of past processing, into blocks of a fixed size, and generates a blockchain by arranging and linking these blocks in order. The blockchain system 3 assigns each block a hash value of the previous block, and distributes and stores the generated blockchain across multiple node devices. In this way, the blockchain system 3 improves the tamper-resistance of the blockchain.

The game server 10 is a device that provides game functions to players. The game terminal 40 is a device used by game players, and displays game screens provided by the game server 10. The game server 10 also has the function of recording game screens played by players. The video editing terminal 50 is a device that edits game videos using recorded game screens as material. The video editing terminal 50 uploads the edited game videos to the video distribution server 20.

The video distribution server 20 is a device that stores and distributes uploaded game videos. The license management server 30 is a device that manages video distribution permissions. The license management server 30, for example, registers and manages transaction data that describes video distribution permissions and agreements such as compensation in the BC system 3. The game videos distributed by the video distribution server 20 are displayed on devices with display capabilities, such as game terminals 40 and video editing terminals 50.

Figure 2 shows the hardware configuration of the game server 10. The game server 10 includes a control unit 11, a memory unit 12, a communication unit 13, and a bus 14. The bus 14 electrically connects the various units of the game server 10. The video distribution server 20 and the license management server 30 may differ in performance and detailed specifications, but have a similar hardware configuration to the game server 10.

(Control unit 11)
The control unit 11 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) not shown. The control unit 11 realizes various functions related to the game video distribution system 1 by reading out predetermined programs stored in the storage unit 12. In other words, information processing by software stored in the storage unit 12 is specifically realized by the control unit 11, which is an example of hardware, and can be executed as each functional unit included in the control unit 11. These will be described in further detail in the next section. Note that the control unit 11 is not limited to being single, and multiple control units 11 may be provided for each function. A combination of these may also be used.

(Storage unit 12)
The memory unit 12 stores various pieces of information defined above. This may be implemented, for example, as a storage device such as a solid state drive (SSD) that stores various programs and the like related to the game video distribution system 1 executed by the control unit 11, or as a memory such as a random access memory (RAM) that stores temporarily required information (arguments, arrays, etc.) related to program calculations. The memory unit 12 stores various programs, variables, etc. related to the game video distribution system 1 executed by the control unit 11.

(Communication unit 13)
The communication unit 13 is configured to be able to transmit various electrical signals from the game server 10 to external components. The communication unit 13 is also configured to be able to receive various electrical signals from the external components to the game server 10. More preferably, the communication unit 13 has a network communication function, which allows various information to be communicated between the game server 10 and external devices via the communication line 2.

Figure 3 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of game terminal 40. Game terminal 40 includes a control unit 41, a memory unit 42, a communication unit 43, an input unit 44, a display unit 45, and a bus 46. Bus 46 electrically connects the various units included in game terminal 40. The control unit 41, memory unit 42, and communication unit 43 may differ in performance and detailed specifications, but are similar in hardware to the control unit 11, memory unit 12, and communication unit 13 described in Figure 2. Video editing terminal 50 may differ in performance and detailed specifications, but has a similar hardware configuration to game terminal 40.

(Input unit 44)
The input unit 44 has buttons, a touch screen, etc., and accepts input from the user. In the case of the game terminal 40, a controller suitable for playing the game is often used as the input unit 44.

(Display section 45)
The display unit 45 has a display or the like and displays images on a display surface. Note that the display unit 45 displaying various images such as characters, items, and backgrounds that appear in the game is also referred to as "displaying a game screen."

2. Functional Configuration This section describes the functional configuration of this embodiment. As described above, information processing by software stored in the storage unit of each device is specifically realized by a control unit, which is an example of hardware, and each functional unit included in the control unit can be executed.

Figure 4 shows the functional configuration of the control unit of each device. The control unit of the game server 10 includes a game processing unit 111, a game memory unit 112, and a recording unit 113. The control unit of the video distribution server 20 includes a video memory unit 211, a list distribution unit 212, and a video distribution unit 213. The control unit of the license management server 30 includes a license information processing unit 311, a granting processing unit 312, a condition processing unit 313, an identification processing unit 314, and a BC processing unit 315. The control unit of the game terminal 40 includes a game processing unit 411, a game memory unit 412, and a video processing unit 413. The control unit of the video editing terminal 50 includes a video processing unit 511 and a video memory unit 512.

The game processing unit 111 of the game server 10 performs processing related to the game. The game memory unit 112 stores data related to the game. The game processing unit 411 of the game terminal 40 executes processing related to the game. The game memory unit 412 stores data related to the game. The game server 10 and the game terminal 40 use these functions to provide games to players. Games provided to players can be of any genre, including fighting games, action games, shooting games, role-playing games, simulation games, puzzle games, racing games, and music games.

The recording unit 113 of the game server 10 performs processing related to recording of game screens. The recording unit 113, for example, generates recording data showing the recorded game screen. The game storage unit 112 stores the generated recording data. The video processing unit 511 of the video editing terminal 50 performs processing related to game videos. The video processing unit 511 reads the recording data stored in the game storage unit 112 and stores it in the video storage unit 512. The video processing unit 511 creates game videos using the stored recording data.

The video storage unit 512 uploads the created game videos to the video distribution server 20. The video storage unit 211 of the video distribution server 20 stores the uploaded game videos. The list distribution unit 212 creates and distributes a list of the game videos stored in the video storage unit 211. The video distribution unit 213 distributes the game videos stored in the video storage unit 211. The video processing unit 413 of the game terminal 40 performs display processing to display the distributed videos.

The license information processing unit 311 of the license management server 30 performs processes such as issuing and notifying license information related to the distribution of game videos. License information is information indicating that the distribution of game videos has been permitted, and in this embodiment is a license ID (Identification) expressed in letters and numbers, etc. License to distribute means that the owner of the rights related to the game has granted permission to distribute game videos including screens from that game. Rights related to the game include copyrights, design rights, patent rights, etc. for the game itself, characters appearing in the game, and music used in the game.

In the game video distribution system 1, the issued license information is assigned to the game video, proving that the distribution of that game video is permitted. The granting processing unit 312 performs processing related to the granting of license information to the game video, such as determining whether license information has been assigned to the game video. While game video distribution may be permitted without restriction, some conditions are usually imposed. The condition processing unit 313 performs processing related to such game video distribution conditions.

Information assigned to game videos includes not only license information, but also the identification processing unit 314, which identifies the screen video that records the game screen, performs processing related to the identification information assigned to the game video. The identification information here refers to identification information separate from the license ID, such as a video ID that identifies a game video that has been licensed for distribution. The BC processing unit 315 performs processing related to BC (blockchain), such as registering information related to the distribution of game videos in the BC system 3.

3. Information Processing This section describes information processing in this embodiment. The game video distribution system 1 performs distribution processing for distributing game videos. The distribution processing includes an issuance processing for issuing license information.

Figure 5 is an activity diagram showing an example of publishing processing. The publishing processing shown in Figure 5 is an example in which a user records a game while playing, and when the user has recorded the game screen they want to use in the game video, they consent to the distribution of the game video including the recorded game screen. First, in A101, the game processing unit 111 of the game server 10 and the game processing unit 411 of the game terminal 40 cooperate to execute game processing that provides the user with the functions of the game.

Next, when the game terminal 40 receives a recording operation from the user at A102, it transmits instruction data indicating a recording instruction to the game server 10. At A103, the game server 10 causes the recording unit 113 to record the game screen based on the instruction indicated in the transmitted instruction data, and generates temporary data indicating the recorded game screen. When the user performs an operation to end recording on the game terminal 40, the game server 10 causes the recording unit 113 to generate recording data indicating the recorded game screen based on the generated temporary data at A104.

The recorded data is data that shows videos and still images showing game screens, sounds emitted during the game, etc. In this embodiment, the recorded data is generated by the game server 10, but it may also be generated by the game terminal 40. The game server 10 transmits the generated recorded data to the video editing terminal 50. When the video editing terminal 50 receives the transmitted recorded data, it stores the recorded data in the video storage unit 512 at A105, and performs video editing processing in the video processing unit 511 to edit the game video that includes the game screens shown in the stored recorded data.

The sending and receiving of recorded data from the game server 10 to the video editing terminal 50 is managed by user ID. This may allow only the user of the game terminal 40 to receive the data, or it may allow anyone to receive it. Furthermore, the user or game administrator may be able to freely set whether or not to receive such recorded data.

By performing video editing operations, the user can crop, zoom in/out, rearrange, loop, overlay effect images and comment images, overlay user video, add user voice, add subtitles for user voice, and arrange the game video on the video. When video editing terminal 50 completes video editing, video processing unit 511 generates video data representing the completed game video and video information, which is meta information for the game video, at A106.

Video information indicates, for example, a video ID that identifies the game video, the duration of the game video (playback time of the game video), and the name of the game included in the game video. When a user completes a game video, they perform an inquiry operation to inquire about the distribution conditions that must be met in order to distribute the game video. When the video editing terminal 50 accepts the inquiry operation, it transmits the generated video information to the license management server 30. The license management server 30 stores various distribution conditions in advance.

The distribution conditions are determined for each distributor of videos containing content (game videos in this embodiment). Furthermore, in this embodiment, distribution conditions are determined in more detail for each game video. The license management server 30 stores the distribution conditions thus determined. Then, at A107, the license management server 30 reads the distribution conditions for the requested game video using the condition processing unit 313 based on the transmitted video information.

In this embodiment, the consideration for distributing game videos is set as a distribution condition. This consideration is a license fee (also called a licensing fee) set based on the rights related to the content included in the game video (the game in this embodiment). Rights related to the content include, for example, copyright when the content is intellectual property such as a game, and in some cases also include design rights and patent rights. The consideration is set for each distributor of game videos, and is demanded by the owner of the rights related to the content from those who benefit from the distribution (the distributor, the agency to which the distributor belongs, etc.).

The payment may be made in the form of cash or virtual currency, for example. Furthermore, if the content is a game, the payment may be made in the form of purchasing an item within the game. The payment may be set as a fixed amount, but in this embodiment, a fee is set according to the number of times the video is played (so-called pay-as-you-go). The license management server 30 uses a distribution conditions table that associates the name of the game to be distributed, the range of the number of times the game video can be played, and the payment required for distribution.

Figure 6 is an example of a distribution conditions table. In the example of Figure 6, the game name "Fighting Game C" is associated with the ranges of video play counts of "Less than B1," "B1 to B2," "B2 to B3," and "B3 or more," as well as the fees of "Free," "P1," "P2," and "P3." The license management server 30 reads out a list of the relationship between the ranges of video play counts and fees associated with the game name indicated by the transmitted video information as the distribution conditions for the requested game video.

The license management server 30 transmits the read distribution conditions to the video editing terminal 50. At A108, the video editing terminal 50 displays the transmitted distribution conditions using the video processing unit 511. In this way, the license information processing unit 311 functions as a condition presentation unit that presents the conditions related to distribution permission (= distribution conditions) to the user. If the user decides to use one of the displayed distribution conditions for distribution, the user pays the fee for the adopted distribution condition and performs an operation to request permission for distribution.

At A109, the video editing terminal 50 uses the video processing unit 511 to send instruction data to the license management server 30 instructing payment of the fee required for permission to distribute. The video editing terminal 50 adds video information, distribution conditions, and a user ID that identifies the user to the instruction data and sends it. The user ID is, for example, identification information assigned to a user registered as a game user. At the license management server 30, A110, the condition processing unit 313 performs payment processing for the fee as indicated in the instruction data that was sent.

When the license management server 30 completes the payment process, at A111, the license information processing unit 311 issues a license ID indicating that distribution of the game video is permitted. In this way, the license information processing unit 311 of the license management server 30 functions as an issuing unit that issues license information indicating permission to distribute a video containing specified content (in this embodiment, a game screen). License information can be issued to various targets, such as per video to be distributed, per distributor, or per organization to which the distributor belongs, but in this embodiment, the license information processing unit 311 issues license information per video to be distributed.

In addition, game videos may require multiple licenses for in-game images, music, and other content in addition to the game itself. The license information processing unit 311 issues, for example, a license ID indicating the licenses for those multiple rights. This license ID is a collection of IDs issued for each right, but licenses for multiple rights may also be indicated by a single ID. In either case, if the distribution of a video containing content requires licenses for multiple rights related to that content, the license information processing unit 311 issues license information indicating that those multiple rights are granted. This approach can prevent licenses from being overlooked during video distribution.

Furthermore, if the distribution conditions presented in A108 are accepted, the license information processing unit 311 issues license information indicating acceptance under those distribution conditions. In this embodiment, the distribution conditions are conditions that limit distribution depending on the number of plays of the game video, as described in FIG. 6. Note that these distribution conditions are conditions that limit distribution above a certain number of plays, for example, but this can also be rephrased as conditions that permit distribution below a certain number of plays.

Next, at A112, the license management server 30 stores the issued license ID by the license information processing unit 311, in association with the video ID, user ID, and distribution conditions indicated in the received request data. In this way, the license information processing unit 311 functions as a first registration unit that registers identification information associated with the license information. The identification information here refers to at least one of the identification information of the game video whose distribution is permitted by the license information (video ID in this embodiment) or the identification information of the distributor of that game video (user ID in this embodiment).

The license management server 30 transmits license-related information indicating the license ID, video ID, and user ID to the video editing terminal 50 via the license information processing unit 311. At A113, the video editing terminal 50 displays the transmitted license-related information via the video processing unit 511 to notify the user that distribution of the game video has been permitted. In this way, the license information processing unit 311 functions as a notification unit that notifies the user wishing to distribute of the issued license information (in this embodiment, the license ID).

Furthermore, at A114, the license management server 30 uses the license information processing unit 311 and the BC processing unit 315 to send the ID information (in this embodiment, the license ID, video ID, and user ID) and distribution conditions stored at A112 to the BC system 3 shown in Figure 1 and register them in the blockchain. In this way, the license information processing unit 311 and the BC processing unit 315 function as a second registration unit that associates license information with the relationship between the license and compensation indicated by the license information and registers them in the blockchain.

As described above, in the example of FIG. 5, the user created a game video using game screens that they themselves recorded, but the user may also create a game video using game screens that other users recorded. In this case, the game server 10 creates a list of the generated recorded data at A104 in FIG. 5 and displays it on the game terminal 40. The user then selects one of the recorded data from the list, and the game server 10 transmits the selected recorded data to the video editing terminal 50, after which the operations from A105 in FIG. 5 are carried out.

In the above example, the recording data is generated before the license information is notified, but the license information may be notified before the recording data is generated. The issuing process in this case will be described below.
7 is an activity diagram showing another example of the issuing process. The issuing process shown in FIG. 7 is started when a user performs an operation to search for a game screen recorded by another user. First, in A121, the game processing unit 111 of the game server 10 and the game processing unit 411 of the game terminal 40 cooperate to execute game processing that provides the user with game functions.

Here, it is assumed that the user performs an operation to display the distribution rights screen. The distribution rights screen is a screen for purchasing distribution rights for game videos. Distribution rights are the rights to distribute game videos, and indicate that distribution that meets specified distribution conditions has been permitted. At A122, the game terminal 40, via the video processing unit 413, accepts the operation to display the distribution rights screen and transmits request data to the game server 10 requesting the display of the distribution rights screen.

At A123, the game server 10 transfers the request data sent by the video distribution unit 213 to the license management server 30 and inquires about distribution rights information. Before receiving this inquiry, the license management server 30 registers distribution rights information indicating specified distribution conditions at A124 using the license information processing unit 311. Distribution rights information is registered, for example, by a business operator that provides a game video distribution service. Once registered, distribution rights information may remain unchanged, or it may be periodically updated and re-registered.

When the license management server 30 receives the request data transmitted from the game server 10, at A125, the license information processing unit 311 reads the registered distribution rights information. The license management server 30 transmits the read distribution rights information to the game server 10. At A126, the game server 10 creates a distribution rights screen to notify the user of the transmitted distribution rights information, and transmits it to the game terminal 40. At A127, the game terminal 40 displays the transmitted distribution rights screen using the video processing unit 413.

Figure 8 shows an example of a displayed distribution rights screen. The game terminal 40 displays the distribution rights screen as part of the in-game item shop. On the distribution rights screen, distribution rights are sold in the same way as in-game items, such as a "B-number of video plays 1 pack" and a "B-number of video plays 2 pack." Note that "video plays" refers to the maximum number of times a game video can be played, as described above. The distribution rights screen displays the price of each distribution rights item and a purchase button.

In this way, in the example of Figure 7, the permission information processing unit 311 also functions as a condition presentation unit that presents the conditions related to permission to distribute (hereinafter referred to as "distribution conditions") to the user. At A128, the game terminal 40 uses the video processing unit 413 to accept the operation of pressing the purchase button as a purchase operation. The game terminal 40 transmits data to the game server 10 as purchase data that associates the user ID with distribution rights information (in this embodiment, the maximum number of video plays and the compensation) for the distribution rights for which the purchase operation was accepted.

At A129, the game server 10, via the game processing unit 111, performs payment processing for the price indicated in the transmitted purchase data. When the game server 10 has performed the payment processing, it transmits request data to the license management server 30 indicating the distribution rights information and user ID indicated in the purchase data, and a request for permission to distribute. Upon receiving the request data, the license management server 30, via the license information processing unit 311, issues a license ID indicating permission to distribute the game video indicated in the received request data at A130.

As such, in the example of Figure 7, the license information processing unit 311 of the license management server 30 also functions as an issuing unit that issues license information indicating permission to distribute a video that includes specified content (a game screen in this embodiment). Furthermore, if the distribution conditions presented in A127 are accepted, the license information processing unit 311 issues license information indicating permission under those distribution conditions. In the example of Figure 7, the distribution conditions are also conditions that limit distribution depending on the number of times the video is played.

Next, at A131, the license management server 30 uses the license information processing unit 311 to store the issued license ID and the user ID indicated in the received request data, i.e., the ID information, in association with the distribution conditions indicated by the distribution rights information. Thus, in the example of Figure 7, the license information processing unit 311 also functions as a first registration unit that registers identification information associated with the license information (user ID in the example of Figure 7). The license management server 30 uses the license information processing unit 311 to transmit license-related information indicating the license ID and user ID.

The destination of the license-related information is, for example, the game terminal 40 or the video editing terminal 50; in the example of Figure 7, it is the video editing terminal 50. At A132, the video editing terminal 50 displays the license-related information that was sent by the video processing unit 511, notifying the user that distribution rights for the game video have been acquired. Thus, in the example of Figure 7, the license information processing unit 311 also functions as a notification unit that notifies the user who wishes to distribute of the issued license information (in this embodiment, a license ID).

Furthermore, at A133, the license management server 30 uses the license information processing unit 311 and BC processing unit 315 to register the ID information (license ID and user ID in the example of Figure 7) and distribution conditions stored at A131 in the blockchain. In this way, also in the example of Figure 7, the license information processing unit 311 and BC processing unit 315 function as a second registration unit that associates license information with the relationship between the license and compensation indicated by the license information and registers it in the blockchain. Next, we will explain the distribution process from notification of the license ID until the game video is distributed.

Figure 9 is an activity diagram showing an example of distribution processing. The distribution processing shown in Figure 9 is performed after the issuance processing of Figures 5 and 7. In each issuance processing, a license ID is notified to the video editing terminal 50. In A141, the video editing terminal 50 assigns ID information to the game video using the video processing unit 511. The ID information here refers to the license ID, video ID, and user ID when the issuance processing of Figure 5 is performed, and the license ID and user ID when the issuance processing of Figure 7 is performed. The methods for assigning each type of ID information can be the same, but the license ID will be used as an example for explanation.

The video editing terminal 50 assigns a license ID, for example, by superimposing text or code indicating the license ID onto the game video using digital watermarking technology. The video editing terminal 50 may also assign a license ID to the game video by writing the license ID into the video information, which is meta information for the game video. The video editing terminal 50 may also assign a license ID to the game video by superimposing an inaudible sound indicating the license ID onto the sound emitted by the game video. The video editing terminal 50 displays a video editing screen that provides a function for assigning a license ID.

Figure 10 shows an example of a video editing screen. The video editing screen includes a main screen E1, a thumbnail image E2, sound information E3, text information E4, a digital watermark button D1, and a meta information button D2. The main screen E1 displays the edited video. The thumbnail image E2 displays thumbnail images of frames included in the video in chronological order. By arranging recorded data in the thumbnail image E2, a game video including the recorded data is created.

Sound information E3 indicates sound information to be superimposed on the game video. Text information E4 indicates text information to be superimposed on the game video. The digital watermark button D1 is an operation image for adding a license ID to the game video as a digital watermark. The meta information button D2 is an operation image for including the license ID in meta information and adding it to the game video. When the digital watermark button D1 is operated, the screen switches to a video editing screen for adding a digital watermark.

Figure 11 shows an example of a video editing screen for assigning a license ID. Figure 11(a) shows the entire video editing screen. The video editing screen includes a main screen E11, a thumbnail image E12, and digital watermark information E13. The main screen E11 displays the video after the digital watermark has been added. The thumbnail image E12 displays thumbnail images of frames included in the video in chronological order. The digital watermark information E13 indicates the method of adding a digital watermark for each playback time of the game video.

In this embodiment, there are four methods for adding a digital watermark: "Full surface," "Four corners," "One corner," and "Specified position." The digital watermark addition method is selected using the Full surface button D11, Four corners button D12, One corner button D13, and Position specification button D14. In the "Full surface" method, multiple permission IDs are added evenly across the entire screen, as shown in Figure 11(b). In the "Four corners" method, four permission IDs are added to the four corners of the screen, as shown in Figure 11(c). In the "One corner" method, one permission ID is added to one of the corners of the screen, as shown in Figure 11(d).

In the case of "position specification," permission IDs can be assigned by arranging them at any position on the screen, as shown in Figure 11 (e). With position specification, the number, size, and orientation of permission IDs can also be freely set. The game terminal 40 assigns permission IDs to game videos based on user operations on these video editing screens. The game terminal 40 also assigns video IDs and user IDs to game videos in the same way as permission IDs. Note that the assignment method may differ for each type of ID information (e.g., a digital watermark for permission IDs and meta information for other IDs).

The video editing terminal 50 may also add an electronic watermark in the form of blinking characters or an electronic watermark with continuously changing color shading. ID information may also be added to the game screen when the game screen is recorded. In this case, at A131 in FIG. 7, the license management server 30 transmits license-related information to the game terminal 40. When recording the game screen, the game terminal 40 requests the game server 10 to add ID information indicated in the license-related information to the game screen.

When recording a game screen, the game server 10 records it while assigning the requested ID information. Since the game screen shown in the recorded data generated in this way has already been assigned ID information, the game video created using this recorded data will also have ID information assigned. Note that the game server 10 may have the ability to assign ID information to game screens as one of the game functions. In this case, the game server 10 assigns ID information to game screens regardless of whether they are recorded or not, and records the game screens to record game screens with ID information assigned.

The game terminal 40 may also allow the player to select, through operation, whether or not to add ID information. Furthermore, if the ID information is added as an invisible digital watermark, the game terminal 40 may also allow the player to select, through operation, whether or not to visibly display the ID information only during recording. By visibly displaying the ID information, the player can proceed with the game while knowing that the game screen being recorded may later be distributed as a game video.

On the other hand, the video editing terminal 50 may have a function to read out the ID information assigned to the game video to confirm that the creator of the video has assigned the ID information. For example, the video editing terminal 50 first saves a log of the processing performed on the game video. Then, if there is a log of the processing to assign ID information but no log of the processing to delete the assigned ID information, the video editing terminal 50 determines that ID information has been assigned to the game video and reads out the ID information. Furthermore, instead of reading out the ID information, the video editing terminal 50 may issue an error sound or other notification if ID information has not been assigned to the game video. These readings and notifications may be performed when the game video is uploaded.

Once the user has assigned ID information to the game video, they perform an operation to upload the game video to the video distribution server 20. When the video editing terminal 50 accepts the upload operation, in A142 the video processing unit 511 transmits video data showing the edited game actions to the license management server 30. When the license management server 30 receives the transmitted video data, in A143 the assignment processing unit 312 determines whether ID information has been assigned to the game video shown in the received video data. The same method can be used to determine whether ID information has been assigned to each type of information, but the following explanation uses the license ID as an example.

The license management server 30, for example, searches for each stored license ID from the meta information of the video data. If the search finds at least one license ID, the license management server 30 determines that the license ID has been assigned. If the license ID is not found in the meta information, or in parallel with this, the license management server 30 determines whether a digital watermark of the license ID has been assigned to the game video. For example, the license management server 30 selects multiple frames included in the game video and attempts to extract the license ID from the selected frames using image recognition technology.

The license management server 30 determines that a license ID has been assigned if at least one license ID is extracted, and determines that a license ID has not been assigned if no license ID is extracted. To increase the reliability of the determination, the license management server 30 may also determine that a license ID has been assigned if the number of extracted license IDs is equal to or greater than a threshold. In either case, the assignment processing unit 312 functions as an assignment determination unit that, when a video containing content (a game video in this embodiment) is uploaded, makes it possible to determine whether or not license information has been assigned to the video.

More specifically, the granting processing unit 312 determines that license information has been granted when license information superimposed on a video distributed as including content is recognized through image recognition of the video. Furthermore, in A143, the license management server 30 determines, by the identification processing unit 314, whether the video ID and user ID registered in association with the license ID determined to have been granted have been granted to the game video, in the same way as the license ID.

In this case, the license management server 30 also uses image recognition technology to attempt to extract the corresponding video ID and user ID, and determines whether the video ID and user ID have been assigned to the game video, just like the license ID. This determines that the correct combination of ID information has been assigned to the game video. In this way, when a video containing content is distributed and the assignment processing unit 312 determines that license information has been assigned, the identification processing unit 314 functions as an identification determination unit that can determine whether identification information corresponding to the license information has been assigned. The license management server 30 transmits the determined video data to the video distribution server 20. At A144, the video distribution server 20 stores the received video data in the video storage unit 211.

In this case, the license management server 30 also uses image recognition technology to attempt to extract the corresponding video ID and user ID, and determines whether a video ID and user ID have been assigned to the game video, just as it did with the license ID. Note that in this embodiment, a license ID was assigned for each video being distributed, but if a license ID is assigned for each distributor, for example, the license management server 30 can determine whether a user ID registered in association with the license ID has been assigned to the game video. In either case, the license management server 30 determines that the correct combination of ID information has been assigned to the game video.

In this way, when a video including content is distributed and the granting processing unit 312 determines that license information has been granted, the identification processing unit 314 functions as an identification determination unit that can determine whether identification information corresponding to the license information has been granted. The license management server 30 transmits the determined video data to the video distribution server 20. At A144, the video distribution server 20 stores the received video data in the video storage unit 211.

The license management server 30 may determine that ID information has not been assigned to a game video. This may be the case, for example, when the user simply forgets to assign ID information, when the ID information has been assigned but is incorrect, or when the correct ID information has been assigned as a digital watermark but is difficult to read due to its compatibility with the video. In these cases, the license management server 30 determines that ID information has not been assigned to the game video and sends notification data to the video editing terminal 50 informing the user that the game video cannot be distributed because ID information has not been assigned.

At A145, the license management server 30 causes the video processing unit 511 to display a notification indicating that distribution is not possible, as indicated by the transmitted notification data. When the user receives this notification, they can return to A141, assign ID information to the game video, and then re-upload it, thereby enabling distribution of the game video. After the game video is stored at A144, a user (viewer) who wishes to watch the game video performs an operation to display a list of game videos on the game terminal 40 in order to distribute the game video. The viewer is generally a different user from the distributor, but there are also cases where the distributor becomes a viewer in order to check the performance of their own game video.

When the game device 40 accepts a video list display operation at A151, the video processing unit 413 sends request data requesting a list of game videos to the video distribution server 20. At A152, the video distribution server 20 creates a video list indicated by the received request data at the list distribution unit 212. The video list created at this time also includes the game videos stored at A144. The video distribution server 20 sends the created video list to the game device 40.

At A153, the gaming device 40 displays the list of videos that have been sent via the video processing unit 413. The user performs an operation to select a game video to be distributed from the displayed list of videos. At A154, the gaming device 40 accepts this selection operation via the video processing unit 413 and transmits request data requesting distribution of the selected game video to the video distribution server 20. At A155, the video distribution server 20 reads out the game video indicated in the received request data via the video distribution unit 213 as the video to be distributed and distributes it to the gaming device 40.

At A156, the video processing unit 413 of the gaming device 40 displays the distributed game video. The game video thus distributed is assigned ID information. In this way, the video distribution unit 213 distributes game videos that have been assigned the issued license information (in this embodiment, a license ID). Furthermore, if the video distribution unit 213 determines that the game video has been assigned license information, it distributes that game video.

More specifically, the video distribution unit 213 distributes game videos that have been determined by the granting processing unit 312 to have been granted permission information and by the identification processing unit 314 to have been granted identification information. In this embodiment, as described above, the number of times a game video can be played is used as a distribution condition. Therefore, after distribution of a game video begins, repeated distribution may result in the distribution condition no longer being met. In order to identify and deal with such game videos, a condition determination process is performed.

Figure 12 is an activity diagram showing an example of the condition determination process. The condition determination process shown in Figure 12 is performed for each game video for which distribution conditions have been defined. First, in A161, the license management server 30, using the condition processing unit 313, determines whether the time has come to determine the distribution conditions for the game video to be determined. In this embodiment, the number of times the game video can be played is used as the distribution condition, so the license management server 30 queries the video distribution server 20 and determines that the time has come to determine the determination each time the video distribution server 20 distributes a game video and the number of plays increases.

The license management server 30 repeats the operation of A161 until it determines that the time for judgment has arrived. If the license management server 30 determines that the time for judgment has arrived, then in A162, the condition processing unit 313 determines whether the game video being judged satisfies the distribution conditions. The license management server 30 makes this judgment using the distribution conditions stored in association with the license ID assigned to the game video being judged. If the license management server 30 determines that the distribution conditions are met, it returns to A161 and repeats the operation.

Note that the distribution conditions are determined only for game videos that are determined to have been assigned ID information including a license ID. In this way, when the assignment processing unit 312 determines that license information has been assigned to a video containing content (a game video in this embodiment), the condition processing unit 313 functions as a condition determination unit that can determine whether the video satisfies the conditions indicated by the license information. If the license management server 30 determines that the distribution conditions are not satisfied, the license information processing unit 311 sends notification data to the game terminal 40 notifying a request to stop distribution.

At A163, the game terminal 40 displays the notification content indicated by the received notification data and notifies the distributor of the request to stop distribution. If the distributor accepts the request to stop distribution, they perform an operation to stop distribution. When the game terminal 40 accepts the operation to stop distribution, the video processing unit 413 sends instruction data instructing the video distribution server 20 to stop distribution. When the video distribution server 20 receives the instruction data, at A164, the video distribution unit 213 stops distribution, for example, by preventing the reading of video data indicating the game video to be determined.

Instead of requesting the distributor to stop distribution of a game video determined not to have license information granted, the license management server 30 may instead perform processing to force the distribution of that game video to be stopped regardless of the distributor's wishes. In this case, the license management server 30 performs the processing to stop distribution by sending notification data to the game device 40 notifying the distribution of the game video to be stopped, and sending instruction data to the video distribution server 20 instructing the distribution of that game video to be stopped.

In this way, the permission information processing unit 311 functions as a first processing unit that enables the execution of distribution stop processing for a video containing content determined not to satisfy the distribution conditions. If the distributor rejects the request to stop distribution, the distributor performs an operation to indicate their desire to continue distribution. When the game terminal 40 accepts the operation to continue distribution, the video processing unit 413 sends inquiry data to the video distribution server 20 inquiring about how to continue distribution.

When the video distribution server 20 receives the inquiry data, in A171, the condition processing unit 313 reads out the distribution conditions applicable to the game video being judged. For example, when the distribution conditions shown in FIG. 6 are used, the applicable distribution conditions are distribution conditions that set the current number of video plays as the number of possible plays. The video distribution server 20 transmits guidance data to the game device 40 instructing the game device 40 to update to the read distribution conditions.

When the game terminal 40 receives the guidance data, at A172, the video processing unit 413 displays the distribution conditions indicated in the received guidance data, thereby informing the distributor that the distribution conditions should be updated. If the distributor does not accept the new distribution conditions for reasons such as an increase in compensation, the distributor performs a refusal operation. When the game terminal 40 accepts the refusal operation, it transmits refusal data to the video distribution server 20 indicating that the distribution conditions will not be updated.

When the video distribution server 20 receives the rejection data, in A173, the video distribution unit 213 stops distribution of the game video being determined. If the distributor accepts the new distribution conditions, they perform an operation to update the distribution conditions. An operation to update the distribution conditions is, for example, an operation to purchase the price for the new distribution conditions. When the game terminal 40 accepts the update operation, in A174, the video processing unit 413 sends purchase data indicating the purchase of the new distribution conditions to the license management server 30.

In A175, the license management server 30 causes the video processing unit 511 to perform payment processing for the price indicated in the transmitted purchase data. If payment processing has been performed, in A176 the license management server 30 causes the license information processing unit 311 to perform processing to update the distribution conditions for the game video being evaluated to the distribution conditions indicated in the received request data.

When the license management server 30 updates the distribution conditions, it returns to A161 and repeats the condition determination process. In this way, when there is a video (in this embodiment, a game video) containing content for which it has been determined that the conditions are not met, the condition processing unit 313 functions as a second processing unit that performs request processing to request the distributor of that video to obtain a distribution license with new distribution conditions that the distribution of that video meets.

As described above, in this embodiment, only videos that are determined to have been assigned a license ID are distributed, which makes it possible to curb unauthorized video distribution compared to when a license ID is not determined. Furthermore, in this embodiment, by determining whether the distribution conditions are met, it is possible to find videos that violate the license conditions, and by requesting that distribution be stopped in this case, distribution of the violating video can be stopped. Furthermore, by requesting an update of the distribution conditions, distribution of the violating video can be returned to proper distribution.

<Other embodiments>
(1) Method for Purchasing a License ID A license ID may be purchased by a method different from that described in the embodiment. For example, the license management server 30 provides a web shop that sells license rights and issues a license ID to a user who purchases a license right from the web shop. The purchased license ID may be freely assignable to any game video, or may be assigned only to game videos that satisfy predetermined distribution conditions.

(2) Compensation Processing Compensation may be determined for the distribution of videos including content according to the results of the distribution. Compensation according to the results of the distribution may be, for example, an amount obtained by multiplying the number of times the video is played by a predetermined coefficient, or an amount according to the number of times the video is played each time the number of times exceeds a predetermined number. Below, an example will be described in which a game video is distributed as a video including content.

The relationship between distribution history and compensation corresponds to the relationship between permission and compensation, and is registered in the blockchain as described in the embodiment. When a game video is distributed that has been determined to have permission information granted by the granting processing unit 312, the condition processing unit 313 performs request processing to request compensation corresponding to the distribution history of that game video. The compensation request processing by the condition processing unit 313 will be described with reference to Figure 13.

Figure 13 is an activity diagram showing an example of the fee request process. The fee request process shown in Figure 13 is performed for each game video for which distribution conditions have been defined. First, in A181, the license management server 30 uses the condition processing unit 313 to determine whether the time for fee processing has arrived for the game video that is the subject of fee processing. The license management server 30 determines that the time for fee processing has arrived at a set time, for example, at midnight every day.

The license management server 30 may also determine that the time for payment processing has arrived when the game video has been played a predetermined number of times, or when a video distribution channel has been set up for each distributor and the number of subscribers to that channel has reached a predetermined number. The license management server 30 may also provide free service until the number of plays or subscribers reaches a predetermined number, and then switch to a paid service when the number of plays or subscribers exceeds the predetermined number.

The license management server 30 repeats the operation of A181 until it determines that the time for payment processing has arrived. If the license management server 30 determines that the time for payment processing has arrived, then in A182, the condition processing unit 313 and the BC processing unit 315 read the distribution conditions for the game video that is the subject of payment processing from the blockchain. Next, in A183, the license management server 30 uses the condition processing unit 313 to calculate the payment for the target game video based on the read distribution conditions, and transmits payment data indicating the calculated payment to the game terminal 40.

At A184, the video processing unit 413 of the gaming terminal 40 displays the payment indicated in the payment data that has been transmitted. If the distributor wishes to stop distribution of the game video without paying the displayed payment, the distributor performs a distribution stop operation. When the gaming terminal 40 accepts the distribution stop operation, it transmits distribution stop data indicating that distribution will be stopped to the video distribution server 20. When the video distribution server 20 receives the distribution stop data, at A185 the video distribution unit 213 stops distribution of the game video that is the subject of payment processing.

If the distributor wishes to continue the distribution by paying the displayed fee, they perform an operation to continue the distribution. An operation to continue the distribution is, for example, an operation to pay the displayed fee. When the game terminal 40 accepts this operation, in A186, the video processing unit 413 sends purchase data indicating payment of the fee to the license management server 30. Note that the game terminal 40 may automatically determine in A184 whether to continue the distribution and send the purchase data in A186.

In A187, the license management server 30 uses the condition processing unit 313 to perform payment processing for the fee indicated in the transmitted purchase data. After performing the payment processing, in A188, the license management server 30 uses the condition processing unit 313 to update the distribution conditions for the game video that is the subject of the payment processing that have been stored up to that point to the distribution conditions that will be applied upon payment of the fee indicated in the received notification data. After updating the distribution conditions, the video distribution server 20 returns to A181 and repeats the condition determination processing operation.

In this way, the license information processing unit 311 functions as a compensation unit that performs request processing to request compensation determined based on the relationship registered in association with the license information determined to be granted to a video containing content. The relationship here refers to the relationship between the license and compensation indicated by the license information, and is information registered on the blockchain. According to this aspect, the owner of the rights to the content can receive compensation by allowing the use of the content.

(3) Display Mode of Videos Including Content When distributing a list of videos including content, the list distribution unit 212 of the video distribution server 20 may set priorities for the placement of those videos. For example, a priority is set for videos including content according to the price. In this case, the list distribution unit 212 stores priority information indicating the relationship between the price and the priority. The priority information basically indicates a relationship in which the higher the price, the higher the priority, but the opposite relationship may also be indicated. Below, an example will be described in which a game video is distributed as a video including content.

The list distribution unit 212 functions as a display unit that displays a list of game videos that can be distributed. The list distribution unit 212 displays the game videos included in the list in a manner based on the priority of the game video. The video distribution unit 213 distributes videos selected from the displayed list. A manner based on priority is, for example, a manner in which a game video is placed in a position that is more likely to be selected the higher the priority. Generally, the closer to the top of the screen, the more likely the video is to be selected. If the text on the screen is written horizontally, the closer to the left side of the screen, the more likely the video is to be selected.

Furthermore, the priority-based aspect may be such that the higher the priority, the larger the size of the thumbnail image of the game video in the list. Furthermore, the priority-based aspect may be such that the frame of the thumbnail image is made a more eye-catching color or design. In this embodiment, the more the fee is paid, the more likely the video is displayed in a manner that makes it more likely to be selected in the list and distributed. In other words, according to this aspect, payment of the fee can be used to increase the number of views of the video.

(4) Material Management for Videos Including Content When creating videos including content, materials such as images, videos, and sounds may be used to enhance the video. Many of these materials are available on the Internet, and some of them are protected by copyright or other rights. Such materials must not be used without permission, and obtaining permission is time-consuming. Therefore, the license management server 30 may provide materials that users can use without having to go through the trouble of obtaining permission.

In this case, for example, the license information processing unit 311 of the license management server 30 functions as a storage unit that stores materials. The materials referred to here are materials that any user of the game video distribution system 1 can include in their videos without obtaining special permission. This can also be said to be materials that are already permitted for use when the user becomes a user of the game video distribution system 1. The license information processing unit 311 then functions as a provider that provides these materials to users.

The user here is a user who has been notified of the license information issued by the license information processing unit 311. The license information processing unit 311 displays a selection image for selecting material on a video editing screen, and when an operation is performed on the selection image, transmits the selected material to the video editing terminal 50. The video editing terminal 50 then generates a video including the transmitted material using the video processing unit 511. This configuration makes it possible to reduce the use of unauthorized material in videos compared to when the above-mentioned material is not provided.

The license management server 30 may also provide the content itself as material for a video that includes the content. The content here includes not only primary content such as games, music, and broadcast screens, but also secondary content such as videos that include such primary content. Below, we will use as an example a case where a video that can be displayed on a user terminal is used as the content, even among secondary content. Below, this type of content is referred to as a "content video." Videos created using content videos are called "cut-out videos."

The recorded data of the game screen is data representing the content video. For example, when the video distribution server 20 records the game screen, the player who plays the game being recorded performs a consent operation to consent to the use of the content video represented by the recorded data generated by the recording as material for the game video. The license management server 30, via the license information processing unit 311, obtains and stores the recorded data representing the content video for which the consent operation has been performed from the video distribution server 20.

Then, the license management server 30 uses the license information processing unit 311 to create a list of content using thumbnails of the content videos and file names of the recorded data, and transmits the created list to the video editing terminal 50. When the user selects a content video from the list, the video editing terminal 50 transmits request data requesting the selected content video to the license management server 30. When the license management server 30 receives the request data, the license information processing unit 311 issues a license ID for the game video that includes the requested content video.

This license ID is license information indicating permission to create a video using the content video and permission to distribute the created video. The license management server 30 transmits the issued license ID and recording data indicating the requested content video to the video editing terminal 50. Note that the license information processing unit 311 may also transmit a link to a site that displays the content for each page, rather than a list of content.

In either case, the license information processing unit 311 of the license management server 30 functions as a storage unit that stores content (recorded game screens in the above example), and also functions as a content presentation unit that presents the stored content to the user. When the presented content is selected, the license information processing unit 311 issues license information for that content. This type of configuration makes it possible to create videos using existing content.

The license information processing unit 311 may previously assign license information to the content used as material. In this case, the license information processing unit 311 functions as an assigning unit that assigns license information to the content. If the content includes images, such as a video content, the license information processing unit 311 assigns a license ID using a digital watermark or meta information, as described in the above embodiment. Furthermore, if the content is music or the like, the license information processing unit 311 assigns a license ID by superimposing an inaudible sound indicating the license ID.

The license information processing unit 311 then presents the user with a list of content to which license IDs have been assigned, and transmits the content selected by the user to the video editing terminal 50. In this way, the license information processing unit 311 functions as a providing unit that provides content to which license information has been assigned as described above as material for videos that include the content. This type of configuration makes it possible to prevent license information from being not assigned to videos that include the content.

The content video provided as material may itself be a video for which distribution has been permitted. In this case, the license management server 30 first issues license information (hereinafter referred to as "primary license information") indicating permission to distribute the content video, and registers this information in the blockchain in association with ID information including the issued primary license information. The license management server 30 then issues license information (hereinafter referred to as "secondary license information") indicating permission to create a video using the content video and permission to distribute the created video, and registers this information in association with ID information including the issued secondary license information in the blockchain.

The license management server 30 also assigns the issued secondary license information to the content video before providing it as video material. This prevents game videos that include content videos from not being assigned license information. The license management server 30 may also assign primary license information to the content video in addition to secondary license information. In this case, it can be shown that the content video included in the game video has also been granted permission to be distributed.

The fact that the content video described above has obtained primary permission for distribution means that the distributor of the content video has paid compensation to the owner of the rights related to the content. The license management server 30 may also perform payment processing to have the distributor who distributes game videos created using the content video also pay compensation for this content video. This allows the requester of compensation, i.e., the owner of the rights related to the content, to receive more compensation the more secondary distribution of videos containing the content occurs.

The license management server 30 may also display a list of registered primary license information and secondary license information. For example, when a game video is specified by the creator of a game video, the license management server 30 reads out the primary license information and secondary license information registered in association with the video ID of the specified game video. The license management server 30 displays the read license information, for example, in a hierarchical format. A hierarchical format is one in which, for example, the first layer shows primary license information, and the next layer shows both primary and secondary license information. By listing the license information in this way, it is easy to understand the license information that must be taken into consideration when distributing game videos.

In addition, when content is presented, guidelines regarding the use of the content may also be presented. Guidelines are distribution conditions that distributors must abide by, such as not violating public order and morals or not revealing spoilers about the game content. In this case, when the license information processing unit 311 presents the content to the user, the condition processing unit 313 of the license management server 30 presents the distribution conditions of that content to the user. When the presented content is selected and the distribution conditions of that content are accepted, the license information processing unit 311 issues license information for that content.

In this manner, since the distribution conditions have already been accepted, it is easier to obtain consent to stop distribution if the distribution conditions are no longer met. However, the distribution conditions for which consent is obtained are not limited to this. For example, the license management server 30 may obtain consent to a distribution condition that allows the owner of the game rights to delete the game video at their discretion if they determine that the game video contains inappropriate content. Furthermore, the license management server 30 may obtain consent to a distribution condition that, if the guidelines presented as described above are violated, the deletion of the game video will not result in a refund of the fee.

(5) Timing of License Determination In the above embodiment, the license processing unit 312 of the license management server 30 determines whether license information is attached to a game video when the game video including a game screen is uploaded, but the timing of the license determination is not limited to this. The license processing unit 312 may also determine whether license information is attached to a game video when the game video is edited.

In this case, the granting processing unit 312 cooperates with the video processing unit 511 of the video editing terminal 50 to, for example, forcibly upload the game video being edited at regular time intervals after editing of the game video has begun, and determines whether or not the license information has been granted. The granting processing unit 312 transmits the determination result to the video editing terminal 50. The video editing terminal 50 disables the upload function while the determination result that the license information has not been granted is received, and enables the upload function when the determination result that the license information has been received is received.

Not only when the above-mentioned determination of whether to grant permission is not made at the time of uploading or editing, but also when such determination is made, unless the determination is made for all game videos uploaded, there is a possibility that a violating video that has not been granted permission for distribution and has not been granted license information may be uploaded. For such cases, the granting processing unit 312 may determine whether license information has been granted to a game video when it is distributed.

In this case, when distributing a game video, the video distribution unit 213 of the video distribution server 20 transmits the game video to the license management server 30. The granting processing unit 312 determines whether or not license information has been granted to the transmitted game video. The granting processing unit 312 notifies the video distribution server 20 of this determination result. If the video distribution unit 213 receives a determination result that license information has been granted, it distributes the game video, and if it receives a determination result that license information has not been granted, it does not distribute the game video.

Note that the video distribution unit 213 may delete a game video as necessary after distribution of the game video has begun. For example, the video distribution unit 213 continues to acquire the number of views of the video even after distribution of the game video has begun, and if the acquired number of views of the video exceeds a threshold, it determines that the impact of the violating video is significant and that deletion is necessary, and deletes the game video. Regardless of when the granting determination is made, unauthorized video distribution can be suppressed compared to when the granting determination is not made.

(6) Motivation for Granting License Information As described above, in the game video distribution system 1, there is a possibility that illegal videos will be uploaded and distributed. In order to reduce such illegal videos and provide an incentive to obtain permission for distribution, the searchability of game videos to which license information has been granted may be improved as a special benefit. Improving searchability means making the game videos more likely to appear at the top of search results when keywords related to game videos are searched. For example, when the granting processing unit 312 of the license management server 30 determines that license information has been granted to a video containing content, the granting processing unit 312 may function as a third processing unit that processes the game video to improve its searchability on game video distribution sites.

The game video distribution site is, for example, a site listing game videos distributed by the list distribution unit 212 of the video distribution server 20. In this example, the list distribution unit 212 provides a search function for finding a desired video from the list of game videos. This search function is, for example, a function for searching for keywords entered from the video information of a game video. For example, when the video information contains the name of a game, the addition processing unit 312 performs a processing step of adding keywords frequently used by users searching for that game to the video information.

For example, if the content included in the game video is a fighting game, the addition processing unit 312 performs processing to add keywords such as "battle," "commands," "combos," "special moves," and the names of characters appearing in the fighting game to the video information, thereby improving searchability. Furthermore, if the content is a drama, the addition processing unit 312 performs processing to add the names of the characters and actors appearing in the drama, and if the content is sports, the addition processing unit 312 improves searchability by adding the name of the tournament and the names of the main players.

Regardless of the processing method used, the added benefit of license information is that the content is more likely to appear at the top of search results. Furthermore, regardless of whether or not the above processing methods are used, any processing is acceptable as long as it helps game videos appear at the top of search results, in other words, as long as it is evaluated to be ranked highly in the algorithm that determines search engine display rankings. According to this aspect, obtaining a distribution license can be used to increase the number of views of videos that include the content.

Furthermore, when it is determined that license information has been assigned to a video containing content, the assignment processing unit 312 may function as a fourth processing unit that generates a link to that video on a site other than the distribution site of that video. Specifically, the assignment processing unit 312 performs a process of generating a link to the game video, for example, as an advertisement, on a site that sells the game content, a site that introduces the game, or a review site for the game. Furthermore, when a user uses an information provision service that periodically distributes information related to games, the assignment processing unit 312 performs a process of generating a link to the game video, for example, as an advertisement, in an email or the like that is distributed.

In either case, for example, the operator of the game video distribution system 1 obtains the right to post advertisements on each website or in each email, etc. Then, if the granting processing unit 312 determines that license information has been granted to a video containing content, it executes a process to post a link to that video in an advertisement. The more links to game videos are generated in this way, the more likely it is that more users will watch the game videos via those links. In this manner, obtaining a distribution license can also be used to increase the number of views of videos containing content.

(7) Distribution Conditions In the above embodiment, the condition processing unit 313 uses a condition that limits distribution depending on the number of times the game video is played as the distribution condition, but this is not limited to this. The distribution condition may also be a condition that limits distribution depending on the time length of the game video. In this case, the license management server 30 permits distribution free of charge and without restrictions if the length of the game video is equal to or less than a predetermined time, for example.

If the length of the game video exceeds a predetermined time, the license management server 30 will restrict distribution unless a fee corresponding to the length of the game video is paid. The distribution conditions may also be conditions that restrict the distribution period of the game video. If the distribution period is limited to, for example, one year, the distributor must stop distributing the game video before one year has passed since the start of distribution. However, it may also be possible to extend the distribution period by paying a new fee when the distribution period has expired.

The distribution conditions may also be conditions that restrict the time periods during which game videos can be distributed. The distribution time periods may be restricted not only by time of day, but also by day of the week, date, month, year, etc. By using distribution conditions related to distribution as described above, it is possible to make it more difficult for distribution to go beyond the intentions of the issuer of the license information, compared to when distribution is allowed unconditionally. The issuer of the license information is the owner of the rights to the content, or a party entrusted by the owner with the enforcement and management of those rights.

Note that the distribution conditions are not limited to conditions that restrict distribution, but may also be conditions that restrict the game videos that are distributed. For example, the distribution conditions may be conditions that restrict the temporal length of the game video, or the on-screen size or resolution of the game video. The temporal length of the game video refers to the playback time of the entire game video, including parts where the game screen is not displayed. The on-screen size and resolution of the game video essentially mean the same thing, and are expressed by the number of vertical and horizontal pixels of the game video (e.g., 1920 x 1080).

By using distribution conditions related to game videos in this way, it is possible to make it less likely that game actions that go beyond the intentions of the issuer of the license information will be distributed, compared to when distribution is allowed unconditionally. Furthermore, when the content is a specific game screen, as in the embodiment, the distribution conditions may be conditions related to that game screen. For example, the distribution conditions may be conditions that limit the range of game screens that can be included in the game video, the playback time of that game screen, or the size or resolution of that game screen on the screen.

The range of the game screen is indicated, for example, by the name of the game and the names of recorded in-game scenes. Regardless of the genre of game, the game usually progresses by changing scenes to keep the player from getting bored. For example, in a fighting game, in-game scenes are indicated by the names of the characters competing (Character A vs. Character B, etc.) or the name of the tournament round. In addition, in role-playing games and action games, in-game scenes are indicated by the names of in-game locations (castles, towns, plains, etc.) or the names of quests and events in which the player is participating.

In addition, in the case of puzzle games or music games, scenes within a game are indicated by the stage (also called the level) currently being played or the name of a song. The playback time of a game screen is the time that the game screen is displayed in the game video. Here, the time when the game screen is still may or may not be included in the playback time. If still time is included, for example, even if the recorded game screen is one minute long, the playback time may become longer if the screen is frozen while commentary is given.

On the other hand, if still periods are not included, and the game video only uses one minute of recorded game screen, the playback time can be limited to one minute. The on-screen size or resolution of the game screen essentially means the same thing, and is expressed by the number of vertical and horizontal pixels of the game screen included in the game video (e.g., 1920 x 1080). The condition processing unit 313 may use image recognition technology to identify the range of the game screen from the game video, but to reduce the processing load, the range of the game screen may also be included in the recording information generated as meta information that shows an overview of the recorded data.

This recording information is generated by the recording unit 113 of the game server 10. The game server 10 creates recording information that indicates all of the game screen ranges included in the recording data and the playback start and end times for those ranges. The game server 10 transmits the created recording data and recording information to the video editing terminal 50. When editing the game video, the video processing unit 511 of the video editing terminal 50 creates video information that indicates the range of the game screen that has been edited and included in the game video.

The condition processing unit 313 of the license management server 30 pre-stores the range of game screens permitted for a game video as a distribution condition, in association with the license ID of that game video. Then, for example, when a game video is uploaded together with video information, the condition processing unit 313 acquires the license ID and video information for the game video from the video distribution server 20, and determines whether the range of game screens indicated by the acquired video information satisfies the distribution conditions.

While all of the distribution conditions have been expressed in a way that indicates the scope of restrictions on the distribution of videos containing the content, they may also be expressed in a way that indicates the scope of permission for the distribution of videos containing the content. For example, a distribution condition that restricts the length of a game video to not exceed a certain time can be rephrased as a distribution condition that is permitted as long as the length of the game video is within the certain time. Regardless of how the distribution conditions are expressed, this aspect makes it more difficult for distribution to go beyond the intentions of the issuer of the permission information, compared to when distribution is allowed unconditionally.

(8) Unit of Permission In the above examples, the permission information processing unit 311 of the permission management server 30 issues permission information permitting distribution for each video including content, but this is not limited to this. For example, the permission management server 30 may issue permission information for a predetermined number of videos, or may issue permission information for each user who creates a video.

Users include those who can earn revenue (e.g., advertising revenue) by distributing game videos, and those who cannot. In this case, the distribution conditions may be conditions that restrict distribution depending on the user ID that identifies those users. For example, a first distribution condition may be used for monetizable users, requiring payment based on the number of plays, while a second distribution condition may be used for non-monetizable users, allowing distribution unconditionally.

Furthermore, a video distributor on a certain video distribution site is eligible for monetization if the number of their channel subscriptions is equal to or greater than a predetermined number. In this case, the license management server 30 references the number of channel subscriptions of the game video distributor on that video distribution site when determining whether the distribution conditions are met, for example, at A162 in FIG. 12 . If the referenced number of channel subscriptions is equal to or greater than the predetermined number, the license management server 30 determines that the user is eligible for monetization and determines whether the first distribution condition is met.

Furthermore, if the referenced number of channel subscriptions is less than a predetermined number, the license management server 30 determines that the user is not eligible for monetization and determines whether the second distribution condition is met. Note that the license management server 30 may store a list of user IDs of monetizable users in advance, and determine whether the user is eligible for monetization based on the user ID associated with the license ID, and determine the distribution conditions. Furthermore, without being limited to the above example, different distribution conditions may be used depending on whether the distributor is an individual or an organization, or depending on the organization to which the distributor belongs. According to this embodiment, the content of distribution restrictions can be determined for each video distributor.

(9) Transaction of License Rights License rights for the distribution of game videos, etc. may be tradable. These license rights are managed by registering license information in a blockchain, and therefore may be traded, for example, via an exchange used in a blockchain. In this case, the license management server 30, for example, executes transaction processing via the exchange using the license information processing unit 311. This allows, for example, compensation for part or all of the costs paid when a license right is purchased but not used.

(10) Usage Status of License Right The license management server 30 may register information indicating the usage status of the license right indicated by the issued license ID in the blockchain via the license information processing unit 311. For example, if a game video with the issued license ID is uploaded, the license management server 30 registers a used flag in the blockchain indicating that the license right indicated by the license ID has been used.

Furthermore, if a game video with the issued license ID has not been uploaded, the license management server 30 registers an unused flag in the blockchain, indicating that the license right is not being used. This information indicating usage status may be used, for example, as a condition for determining whether or not the license right can be traded. For example, the license management server 30 executes trading processing via an exchange for license rights for which a used flag has been registered, and does not execute trading processing via an exchange for license rights for which an unused flag has been registered.

(11) Human Assignment Determination In the embodiment, the license management server 30 determines whether license information is assigned to a video, but this determination may also be made by a human. In this case, the video editing terminal 50 assigns ID information to the game video by including ID information in the video information or by using a visible digital watermark, as shown in A141 of FIG. 9 . The video editing terminal 50 then uploads the game video to which the ID information has been assigned to the license management server 30.

It is assumed that an operator terminal used by an operator is connected to the license management server 30. The operator displays the uploaded game video on the operator terminal. The operator visually checks the video information or game video screen to see if a symbol that appears to be ID information has been assigned. If a symbol that appears to be ID information has been assigned, the operator performs an operation on the operator terminal to inquire of the license management server 30 about whether the symbol has been registered as ID information in the blockchain.

The license management server 30 uses the BC processing unit 315 to search the blockchain to confirm whether the queried symbol is registered as ID information, and sends the confirmation result to the operator terminal. If the result displayed indicates that it is registered, the operator determines that ID information has been assigned to the game video; if the result displayed indicates that it is not registered, the operator determines that ID information has not been assigned to the game video. In this example, the BC processing unit 315 functions as an assignment determination unit that can determine whether license information has been assigned to a video containing content when that video is uploaded.

In the embodiment, the assignment processing unit 312 automatically determines whether ID information including license information has been assigned by image recognition, but a list of game videos that have been determined not to have the registered correct combination of ID information assigned may also be displayed on the operator terminal, allowing the operator to visually determine whether ID information has been assigned. Furthermore, when a game video is searched for on the operator terminal, the assignment processing unit 312 may search only for game videos that have been determined not to have the registered correct combination of ID information assigned, thereby making it easier to find game videos that are likely to be in violation.

The license management server 30 may also have a function to determine whether a game video contains copyrighted material. For example, the license management server 30 stores pattern data of images or sounds of copyrighted material, and determines that a game video contains copyrighted material if the game video contains images or sounds similar to that pattern data. When a game video is searched, the assignment processing unit 312 may search only for game videos that it determines contain copyrighted material and do not have the correct combination of ID information assigned, making it easy to find game videos that are likely to be in violation despite containing copyrighted material.

(12) Configuration Variations The overall configuration shown in FIG. 1 is an example and is not limited to this. For example, the game server 10, video distribution server 20, and license management server 30 may be integrated into one or two devices, or may be distributed across four or more devices. These servers may also be replaced by a cloud computing system. Furthermore, video editing may be performed on a game terminal 40, and games may be played on a video editing terminal 50.

Furthermore, the functional configuration shown in Figure 4 is an example and is not limited to this. For example, the functions of the video distribution server 20 and the license management server 30 may be realized by a single device, or conversely, the functions of the license management server 30 may be distributed and realized across two or more devices. In short, as long as the functions shown in Figure 4 are realized by the entire game video distribution system 1, the devices that realize those functions may have any configuration.

(13) Categories of Disclosure The above-described embodiments may be an information processing method. The information processing method includes each unit of an information processing system such as the game video distribution system 1. The above-described embodiments may also be a program. The program causes a computer to execute each step of a similar information processing system.

<Additional Notes>
Furthermore, it may be provided in the following aspects.

(2) In the information processing system, in the issuing step, if distribution of the video requires permission for multiple rights related to the content, the license information indicating that the multiple rights are granted is issued.

This approach can reduce the risk of missing permissions in video distribution.

(3) In the information processing system, the storage step stores the content, the content presentation step presents the stored content to the user, and the issuing step issues the license information for the content when the presented content is selected.

This allows you to create videos using existing content.

(4) In the information processing system, in the condition presentation step, conditions regarding permission for the distribution are presented to the user, and in the issuance step, if the presented conditions are accepted, the permission information indicating permission under those conditions is issued.

In this manner, distribution permission can be obtained before the video is generated.

(5) In the information processing system, the conditions limit the length, size on the screen, or resolution of the video.

This type of configuration makes it difficult for videos to be distributed that go beyond the intentions of the issuer of the license information.

(6) In the information processing system, the condition restricts distribution according to the length of the video or the number of times the video has been played.

This allows for distribution restrictions to be placed on a per-video distributor basis.

(7) In the information processing system, the condition limits the distribution period or distribution time period of videos containing the content.

This type of configuration makes it difficult for distribution to occur beyond the intentions of the license information issuer.

(8) In the information processing system, the content is a specified game screen, and the conditions limit the range, playback time, size on the screen, or resolution of the game screen that can be included in the video.

This approach makes it less likely that game screens that go beyond the intentions of the issuer of the license information will be distributed.

(9) In the information processing system, the condition restricts distribution according to identification information that identifies the distributor of the video containing the content.

This allows distribution restrictions to be set for each video distributor.

(10) In the information processing system, the condition determination step enables determination of whether the video satisfies the conditions indicated by the license information when the grant determination step determines that the license information has been granted to the video.

This method makes it possible to find videos that violate license terms.

(11) In the information processing system, in the first processing step, if there is a video for which it is determined that the condition is not satisfied, processing to stop distribution of the video can be executed.

In this manner, distribution of violating videos can be stopped.

(12) In the information processing system, in the second processing step, if there is a video that is determined not to satisfy the conditions, a request process is performed to request the distributor of the video to obtain a license that satisfies new conditions for the distribution of the video.

In this manner, distribution of violating videos can be restored to proper distribution.

(13) In the information processing system, in a first registration step, identification information associated with the license information is registered, and the identification information is at least one of identification information of a video whose distribution is permitted by the license information or identification information of a distributor of the video, and in an identification determination step, when a video containing the content is distributed and it is determined that the license information has been granted in the grant determination step, it is possible to determine whether identification information corresponding to the license information has been granted.

This approach makes it possible to more accurately determine whether permission has been granted.

(14) In the information processing system, in the grant determination step, it is determined that the license information has been granted if it is recognized by image recognition of a video distributed as including the content that the license information is superimposed on the video.

This type of configuration reduces the effort required to determine whether or not permission is granted.

(15) In the information processing system, the content is a content video that can be displayed on a user terminal, and in the granting step, the license information is granted to the content video, and in the providing step, the content video to which the license information has been granted in the granting step is provided as material for a video including the content.

This aspect can prevent license information from being omitted from videos containing content.

(16) In the information processing system, the license for the content specifies a fee for the distribution, and in the compensation step, if it is determined that the license information has been granted to the video, a request process is performed to request a fee corresponding to the distribution of the video.

In this manner, compensation can be earned by allowing users to use the content.

(17) In the information processing system, in the second registration step, the license information and the relationship between the license and compensation indicated by the license information are associated and registered in the blockchain, and in the compensation step, a request process is performed to request compensation determined based on the relationship registered in association with the license information determined to be granted to the video.

This type of implementation can prevent incorrect payment due to tampering.

(18) In the information processing system, in the third processing step, if it is determined in the grant determination step that the license information has been granted to the video, processing is performed on the video to improve its searchability on the distribution site.

In this manner, obtaining permission can be used to increase the number of views of videos.

(19) In the information processing system, in the fourth processing step, if it is determined in the grant determination step that the license information has been granted to the video, a process is performed to generate a link to the video to a site other than the distribution site of the video.

According to this embodiment, obtaining permission can be used to increase the number of views of the video.
Of course, this is not the case.
Furthermore, the above-described embodiments and modifications may be combined in any desired manner.

Finally, while various embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, these are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Novel embodiments may be embodied in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. The embodiments and their modifications are intended to fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosure, as well as the disclosure and its equivalents as set forth in the claims.

1: Game video distribution system 2: Communication line 3: BC system 10: Game server 20: Video distribution server 30: License management server 40: Game terminal 50: Video editing terminal 111: Game processing unit 112: Game storage unit 113: Recording unit 211: Video storage unit 212: List distribution unit 213: Video distribution unit 311: License information processing unit 312: Granting processing unit 313: Condition processing unit 314: Identification processing unit 315: BC processing unit 316: BC processing unit 411: Game processing unit 412: Game storage unit 413: Video processing unit 511: Video processing unit 512: Video storage unit

Claims (19)

An information processing system, comprising:
In the issuing step, license information indicating permission for distribution of the video including the content that can be included in the video is issued;
In the notification step, the issued permission information is notified to a user who desires to perform the distribution;
In the grant determination step, when a video including the content is distributed, the information processing system or a person can determine whether the license information has been granted to the video. 2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the information processing system:
In the issuing step, if the distribution of the video requires permission for multiple rights related to the content, the information processing system issues the permission information indicating that the multiple rights are granted. 3. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the information processing system:
Furthermore, in the storing step, the content is stored;
Furthermore, in the content presenting step, the stored content is presented to the user;
In the issuing step, when the presented content is selected, the license information for the content is issued . 4. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the information processing system comprises:
Furthermore, in the condition presentation step, conditions regarding permission for the distribution are presented to the user;
In the issuing step, when the presented conditions are accepted, the information processing system issues the license information indicating permission under those conditions. 5. The information processing system according to claim 4, wherein the information processing system:
The conditions limit the length, size on a screen, or resolution of the video. 6. The information processing system according to claim 4, wherein the information processing system:
The information processing system includes a condition for restricting distribution according to the length of the video or the number of times the video has been played. In the information processing system according to any one of claims 4 to 6, the information processing system comprises:
The condition restricts a distribution period or a distribution time period of a video including the content. In the information processing system according to any one of claims 4 to 7, the information processing system comprises:
the content is a recorded game screen,
An information processing system in which the conditions limit the range of game screens that can be included in the video, playback time, size on the screen, or resolution. In the information processing system according to any one of claims 4 to 8, the information processing system comprises:
The information processing system includes a condition that restricts distribution according to identification information that identifies a distributor of a video that includes the content. In the information processing system according to any one of claims 4 to 9, the information processing system comprises:
Furthermore, in the condition determination step, when it is determined in the grant determination step that the permission information has been granted to the video, the information processing system or a person can determine whether the video satisfies the conditions indicated by the permission information . 11. The information processing system according to claim 10, wherein the information processing system:
Furthermore, in the first processing step, if there is a video determined not to satisfy the condition, the information processing system is capable of executing a process to stop distribution of the video. 12. The information processing system according to claim 10, wherein the information processing system:
Furthermore, in the second processing step, if there is a video that is determined not to satisfy the conditions, the information processing system performs a request process to request the distributor of the video to obtain a license that satisfies new conditions for the distribution of the video. In the information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, the information processing system comprises:
Furthermore, in the first registration step, identification information associated with the license information is registered, and the identification information is at least one of identification information of a video whose distribution is permitted by the license information or identification information of a distributor of the video;
Furthermore, in the identification determination step, when a video including the content is distributed and it is determined in the grant determination step that the permission information has been granted, the information processing system or a person can determine whether or not identification information corresponding to the permission information has been granted. In the information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 13, the information processing system comprises:
In the grant determination step, an information processing system determines that the permission information has been granted if it is recognized through image recognition of a video distributed as including the content that the permission information is superimposed on the video. In the information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, the information processing system comprises:
The content is a content video that can be displayed on a user terminal,
Furthermore, in the granting step, the license information is granted to the content video;
Furthermore, in the providing step, the content video to which the license information has been assigned in the assigning step is provided as material for a video including the content, in the information processing system . 16. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein the information processing system:
The license for the content specifies a fee for the distribution,
Furthermore, in the compensation step, if it is determined that the license information has been assigned to the video, the information processing system performs a request process to request compensation corresponding to the distribution of the video. 17. The information processing system according to claim 16, wherein the information processing system:
Furthermore, in a second registration step, the license information and the relationship between the license and the consideration indicated by the license information are associated with each other and registered in the blockchain;
In the compensation step, the information processing system performs a request process for requesting a compensation determined based on the relationship registered in association with the license information determined to be granted to the video. In the information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 17, the information processing system comprises:
Furthermore, in a third processing step, if the grant determination step determines that the video has been granted the permission information, the information processing system performs processing on the video to improve its searchability on the distribution site. In the information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 18, the information processing system comprises:
Furthermore, in a fourth processing step, if the grant determination step determines that the video has been granted the permission information, the information processing system performs a process of generating a link to the video to a site other than the distribution site of the video.