Patent ID: 6989485

Claim:
An electronic music apparatus comprising: a first storage device that stores a plurality of song data and predetermined right data corresponding to each of the plurality of song data in correspondence with each other; a musical tone signal generating device that externally generates musical tone signals based on the song data stored in said first storage device; a switch for instructing real-time outputting of the song data; an external output device capable of externally outputting in real-time the song data stored in said first storage device in a form of MIDI data, in response to operation of said switch; an output accepting device that accepts an output instruction for selectively outputting the song data stored in said first storage device; and an output control device responsive to acceptance of the output instruction by said output accepting device, for controlling external outputting of the song data by said external output device based an the predetermined right data corresponding to the song data selected according to the accepted output instruction; wherein said output control device provides control such that if the predetermined right data corresponding to the selected song data indicates that right protection is required, the selected song data is inhibited from being externally output irrespective of whether said switch is operated to instruct real-time outputting of the selected song data.