Patent ID: 7885935

Claim:
A peripheral device comprising: a mounting portion that is configured to mount a removable storage medium; a storage unit that is configured to store data; a reading out unit that reads out first specific information and first identification information from the removable storage medium when the removable storage medium is mounted to the mounting portion, the first specific information representing a deletion authority level among a plurality of deletion authority levels, the first identification information uniquely identifying the removable storage medium; a table storing unit that stores a table which registers second identification information and second specific information in relation to the second identification information, the second specific information indicating a deletion authority level among a plurality of deletion authority levels; a deletion authority specifying unit that specifies a deletion authority for specifying authority to delete data based on the specific information read out by the reading out unit when the first identification information read from the removable storage medium is the same as the second identification information registered in the table by determining whether the deletion authority level indicated by the first specific information read out by the reading out unit is lower than or equal to the deletion authority level indicated by the second specific information registered in the table; and a permitting unit that permits deletion of data in the storage unit based on the deletion authority specified by the deletion authority specifying unit when the deletion authority specifying unit determines that the deletion authority level indicated by the first specific information read out by the reading out unit is lower than or equal to the deletion authority level indicated by the second specific information registered in the table; and a prohibiting unit that prohibits the deletion of data stored in the storage unit when the first identification information read from the removable storage medium is not the same as the second identification information registered in the table or when the deletion authority level indicated by the first specific information read out by the reading out unit is higher than the deletion authority level indicated by the second specific information registered in the table.