Patent ID: 8355146

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a reception unit operable to receive image data from information processing apparatus used by users including registered users and unregistered users; an image forming unit configured to form images based on the image data; a generation unit operable to generate history information relating to an execution history of the image forming unit; a first storage operable to store the history information and user identification information corresponding to the history information; a second storage operable to store limit information about each user for limiting the execution of image forming by the image forming unit; a setting unit operable to set permission information for each user based on the history information and the limit information, the permission information showing whether or not to permit the execution of image forming by the image forming unit; a first judging unit operable to determine whether the user identification information is attached to the image data when receiving the image data from the reception unit; a second judging unit operable to determine, based on the permission information that is set for an unregistered user, whether or not to permit execution of image forming of the image data, when the first judging unit determines that the user identification information is not attached to the image data; and a controller operable to instruct the image forming unit to execute image forming of the image data, when the second judging unit determines to permit execution of image forming of the image data.