Patent ID: 8271792

Claim:
An image processing apparatus comprising: an installation unit that installs an authentication package providing a function related to authentication, the authentication package being provided with attribute information of the authentication package and being attached with an electronic signature that is related to an issuance source of the authentication package; a signature confirmation unit that confirms whether the issuance source of the authentication package is an authenticated issuance source based on the electronic signature attached to the authentication package and first information stored in the image processing apparatus for confirming the validity of the electronic signature; and an authentication package confirmation unit that confirms adequacy of installing the authentication package which is confirmed to be issued by an authenticated issuance source by the signature confirmation unit, based on the attribute information of the authentication package provided with the authentication package and second information stored in the image processing apparatus for confirming the adequacy of installing the authentication package; wherein the attribute information of the authentication package includes a vendor ID that corresponds to the issuance source of the authentication package, the second information stored in the image processing apparatus for confirming the adequacy of installing the authentication package is a vendor ID associated with the first information for confirming the validity of the electronic signature, and the authentication package confirmation unit confirms the adequacy of installing the authentication package when the vendor ID of the authentication package agrees with the vendor ID stored in the image processing apparatus; wherein the installation unit installs the authentication package confirmed by the authentication package confirmation unit.