Patent ID: 7619767

Claim:
A copy device which controls, on a user-by-user basis, a copying operation to be performed with respect to an original document to which a classification is given, the copy device comprising: a user identification information acquiring section for acquiring user identification information for use in identifying a user, the user identification information being associated with first classification information which is a list of classifications given to original documents which the user is allowed to copy and which is a book-classification which classifies the original document according to content; an original document identification information acquiring section for acquiring original document identification information for use in identifying the original document, the original document identification information being associated with second classification information which is information of the classification given to the original document and which is the book-classification which classifies the original document according to content; a first acquiring section for acquiring the first classification information in accordance with the user identification information acquired by the user identification information acquiring section, the first classification information being associated with the user identification information; a second acquiring section for acquiring the second classification information in accordance with the original document identification information acquired by the original document identification information acquiring section, the second classification information being associated with the original document identification information; and a copy-control section for controlling the copying operation to be performed with respect to the original document by comparing the first classification information acquired by the first acquiring section with the second classification information acquired by the second acquiring section.