Network av content playback terminal, server, and system

In a service of downloading contents whose contract is to be automatically renewed, an establishing of a synchronization between information about a period stored on the side of a terminal and information about a period to be renewed on the side of a server, causes a problem of load increase and others because a large amount of contents have to be synchronized at frequent intervals. In consideration thereof, a method for contents viewing permission takes two types of automatic renewal and non-automatic renewal, and the type is described in a meta data transmitted to the terminal at the time of DL registration. In accordance with the meta data, when the type is of the automatic renewal, even if the license is already expired, the terminal makes a display of "automatic renewal" on a listing-display screen of an information display section with no conditions, at a point in time before a command comes from a user for playback and before the license is renewed in response thereto. And when the type is of the non-automatic renewal, an expiration date is checked, and the date or whether the date is expired or not is displayed on the listing-display screen.