Patent ID: 8760677

Claim:
A device control apparatus comprising: a usage instruction acceptance unit that accepts a usage instruction for a device; a determination unit that, in the case where the usage instruction has been accepted, determines whether or not the device is a registered device that has been registered in a server based on registration information obtained from the server, and determines whether or not the device is a loaner device for the registered device based on loaner device information; a notification unit that, in the case where it has been determined that the device is not the registered device and that the device is not a loaner device for the registered device, performs a notification prompting a user to register the device as a registered device in the server; a prohibition unit that, in the case where it has been determined that the device is not the registered device and that the device is not a loaner device for the registered device, prohibits the device from being used in accordance with the usage instruction; and a permission unit that, in the case where it has been determined that the device is the registered device or that the device is a loaner device for the registered device, permits the device to be used in accordance with the usage instruction, wherein in the case where it has been determined that the device is the registered device or that the device is a loaner device for the registered device, the notification unit does not perform the notification.