A content output apparatus of the invention comprises an encryption processing unit configured to apply an encryption processing to the content, a recording unit configured to record the content to which the encryption processing has been applied and identification information which identifies the content itself on the network in the storage device on the network so as to be related with each other, and an output unit configured to read a requested content from the storage device on the basis of a content acquisition request supplied via the network, decrypt the encryption, further apply a predetermined processing to the content, and transmit it on the network.