Patent ID: 8275691

Claim:
A system for issuing a hardcopy certificate of electronic securities, the system comprising: a first computer implemented at a securities offering entity; a second computer implemented at an investing entity and communicatively connected to the first computer via a network; and a printer connected to the second computer, wherein the first and second computers are configured to communicate an electronic security to be issued from the securities offering entity from the first computer to the second computer via the network, wherein the first computer includes: a input unit for receiving electronic data on the electronic security, a recording unit for applying a copy protection to the electronic data of the electronic security, the copy protection being configured to be applied to a hardcopy of the electronic security so that the issued electronic security can be printed only once, and for recording the electronic data of the issued electronic security, and a transmitting unit for transmitting the electronic data of the electronic security from the recording unit to the second computer via the network; wherein the second computer includes: a receiving unit for receiving the electronic data of the electronic security transmitted from the first computer via the network; a recording unit for recording the received electronic data of the electronic security, an image forming unit for forming an image of the electronic data of the electronic security recorded by the recording unit, and a transmitting unit for transmitting the image of the electronic data of the electronic security to the printer; and wherein at least one of the second computer and the printer is configured to generate the hardcopy according to the image of the electronic data and the copy protection such that the hardcopy of the electronic security can be printed only once, the hardcopy being an original of a securities certificate of the electronic security as issued, whereby only one copy of the securities certificate is circulated through the market.