Patent ID: 8312556

Claim:
An information processing apparatus comprising: a use restriction unit configured to restrict use of the information processing apparatus based on identification information stored in an identification information storage unit; and a controller configured to: update the identification information stored in the identification information storage unit; add the updated identification information to a main body of an E-mail; send the E-mail, via an outgoing E-mail processing unit, to a preset mail address and the information processing apparatus itself, wherein specific information for specifying the E-mail is added to a header of the sent E-mail by the outgoing E-mail processing unit; receive a reply E-mail; determine whether added information added to a header of the received reply E-mail is equal to the specific information added to the header of the sent E-mail sent to the information processing apparatus; and store identification information comprised in a main body of the received reply E-mail as new identification information in the identification information storage unit when the added information added to the header of the received reply E-mail equals the specific information added to the header of the sent E-mail sent to the information processing apparatus.