Patent ID: 8549636

Claim:
An information processing apparatus comprising: a software storing unit that stores software; a storage recognizing unit that recognizes, when a storage having stored therein first authentication information for enabling a function of the software stored in the software storing unit is connected to the information processing apparatus via an interface unit, that the storage is connected and transmits to the storage second authentication information uniquely corresponding to the function of the software to be enabled, whereat the second authentication information is compared to the first authentication information; and a function managing unit that receives notification from the storage that the first authentication information and the second authentication information coincide with each other and enables the function of the software stored in the software storing unit; an executing unit that executes the enabled function of the software wherein the first authentication information is deleted when the second authentication information coincides with the first authentication information, wherein reading of data from and writing of data in the storage is disabled when the first authentication information is stored in the storage and is enabled when the first authentication information is deleted from the storage and wherein the executing unit reads out the data from and writes the data in the storage from which the first authentication information is deleted.