Patent ID: 8438172

Claim:
An information processing method for copying or moving or both copying and moving a file comprising: comparing, using a processor, file names of a copy source and a copy destination, or a movement source and a movement destination, and determining whether a file of the same name exists in the copy destination or the movement destination; comparing file contents and determining whether the file contents are identical, when a file of the same name exists in the copy destination or the movement destination; comparing file date and time of the copy source with file date and time of the copy destination, or file date and time of the movement source with file date and time of the movement destination when the file contents are identical, and outputting an inquiry message of whether the file date and time of the copy destination or the movement destination is modified when the file dates and times are different; and modifying the file date and time of the copy destination or the movement destination in accordance with a response to the inquiry message.