The present invention provides an access control method of controlling acceptance or rejection of access to content from metadata. The access control method according to the present invention includes a step of producing metadata 3A for content 6A and embedding a digital signature 4A of a producer who has produced the metadata as producer information in the produced metadata 3A, a step of embedding an identifier 5A indicating which metadata are accessible to the content in license information required to play back the content 6A, and an access propriety control step of comparing the digital signature 4A with the identifier 5A to control propriety of access to the content 6A from the produced metadata 3A.