Patent ID: 7782477

Claim:
An information processing apparatus connected to a printing apparatus via a network, the information processing apparatus comprising: a print data generating unit that generates unencrypted print data; an input unit that is capable of receiving an input of identification information and an input of medium unique information that receives an input inputted by a user's operation, the input being information unique to an information storage medium readable by the printing apparatus; a print data encrypting unit that encrypts the print data generated by the print data generating unit; an embedding unit that embeds the medium unique information in the print data generated by the print data generating unit; a control unit that, in response to the input unit having received an input of identification information, controls the print data encrypting unit to encrypt the print data using the identification information and in response to the input unit having received an input of medium unique information, controls the embedding unit to embed the medium unique information in the print data, and in response to the input unit having not received an input of either identification information or medium unique information, controls the print data encrypting unit not to encrypt the print data and the embedding unit not to embed medium unique information in the print data; and a sending unit that sends a print job to the printing apparatus via the network, the print job including one of print data encrypted by the print data encrypting unit, print data in which medium unique information has been embedded by the embedding unit, and print data that is not encrypted by the print data encrypting unit and in which no medium unique information is embedded by the embedding unit.