A delivery of content to the unspecified number of persons is prevented by
limiting the content delivery range. A delivery source terminal 110
generates an authentication code based on the number of possible
transmission times of content and an authentication code key 116, and
configures the number of possible transmission times and the generated
authentication code in a packet. The delivery source terminal 110
transmits the packet to a delivery destination terminal 130. A router 120
verifies whether the authentication code generated based on the number of
possible transmission times and the authentication code key 124 that are
received agrees with the authentication code received from the delivery
source terminal 110, updates the number of possible transmission times
when the two codes agree, generates a new authentication code, and
configures it in the packet. The router 120 transmits the packet thus
generated to the delivery destination terminal 130.