Patent ID: 7496951

Claim:
A network apparatus, comprising: a first interface unit configured to connect the network apparatus to a network; a connecting unit configured to enable the network apparatus to be detachable from a data processing apparatus; a second interface unit configured to electrically connect the network apparatus and the data processing apparatus when the network apparatus is mounted to the data processing apparatus by the connecting unit; an installation unit configured to install an application and store authentication information, a license code received via the network, corresponding to the application in a storage of the network apparatus; an acquisition unit configured to acquire authentication information corresponding to an application whose activation is designated, from the storage of the network apparatus and the data processing apparatus in which the network apparatus is mounted; a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the application whose activation has been designated is permitted to be activated based on a comparison result of comparing the authentication information acquired from the storage unit of the network apparatus and the authentication information acquired from the data processing apparatus in which the network apparatus is mounted; and an activating unit configured to activate the designated application when the determination step determines that the application is permitted to be activated, and to issue an error notification when the determination unit determines that the designated application is not permitted to be activated, wherein said installation unit acquires equipment information corresponding to a hardware configuration of the data processing apparatus from the data processing apparatus, converts the equipment information into a code and sets the code as the authentication information and said determination unit determines to permit activation of the application when equipment information recorded in the storage unit by the installation unit and current equipment information of the data processing apparatus coincide with each other.