Patent ID: 8169668

Claim:
An image processing apparatus connectable to a policy server which transmits access policy definition information registered in association with a file when receiving an inquiry about an access policy of the file, the image processing apparatus comprising: a storage unit which stores files; a determining unit which determines whether an access policy has been given to one of the files which is to be transmitted; a registering unit which forms definition information for defining an access policy and registering the formed definition information in said policy server connected to said image processing apparatus, in order to give the access policy defined by the formed definition information to the file which is to be transmitted if the determining unit determines that an access policy is not given to the file which is to be transmitted, wherein the definition information indicating that a sender of the file to be transmitted has access right to the file; a transmitting unit which transmits, across a network, the file to which the access policy is given; and a manual setting unit which allows an operator to manually set information associated with the access policy and necessary to form the definition information, wherein, if the operator sets no information concerning the access policy via said manual setting unit, then said determining unit determines that the access policy is not given, and wherein said registering unit comprises: a comparing unit which compares identification data of a sender of the file to be transmitted and identification data of a receiver of the file, if no access policy is given to the file; and a forming unit which forms a definition file indicating that only the sender has an access right to the file, if the identification data of the sender and the identification data of the receiver match.