To automatically manage payment of charge produced between an apparatus
manufacturer and an information provider, and to promote sales of an
information processing apparatus and information contents.There are
provided: a terminal device 11 to managed so as to manufacture and manage
an information processing apparatus 16 and so as to sell to a user 14 an
information processing apparatus at a price lower than a desired sales
price of an apparatus manufacturer 15; a terminal device 12 managed so as
to provide to the user 14 available information contents 18 at the
information processing apparatus 16, and then, collect charge; and a
sales activity management apparatus 13 for managing the terminal devices
11 and 12 based on a license agreement made in advance between an
apparatus manufacturer 15 and an information provider 17, wherein this
sales activity management apparatus 13 issues an instruction for the
terminal device 12 to return to the terminal device 11 an amount of money
corresponding to a difference produced because the apparatus manufacturer
15 has provided the information processing apparatus 16 to the user 14 at
a low price according to an amount of money for a charge collected from
the user 14.