Patent ID: 8194272

Claim:
A printing device that is configured to connect to a host apparatus and at least one other printing device via a network and executes a printing process of a print job including at least one print data and a series of process commands from the host apparatus, the printing device comprising: a session setup unit that sets up a session with the host device and the at least one other printing device; a printing processing unit that executes the printing process, provided that the printing device has a printing right for the print job; and a job synchronizing unit that maintains, upon executing the printing process, a synchronization of the print job with the at least one other printing device that is in session with the printing device, wherein when the printing device is in a state in which the printing process cannot be executed, the printing processing unit transfers the printing right corresponding to the print job that is left unprinted to one of the at least one other printing device, when the printing device is in a state in which the printing process can be executed and if the printing right corresponding to the print job that is left unprinted is transferred to the printing device from one of the at least one other printing device, the printing processing unit executes the printing process, and when the printing device receives a printer occupation command from the host apparatus, the printing device sets itself as having the printing right for the print job and transmits a command to withhold the at least one other printing device having a lower hierarchical status in relation to the printing device from printing.