Patent ID: 7188224

Claim:
A networked apparatus that belongs to a group, and that is connected via a network to at least one device in the group and to at least one device out of the group, said networked apparatus comprising: a storage unit operable to store a content and duplication restricting information that is attached to the content, the duplication restricting information indicating a permitted number of duplications, which represents a number of times that the content is able to be duplicated to a device, wherein the permitted number of duplications is a sum of a permitted number of duplications to a first type of device and a permitted number of duplications to a second type of device; a receiving unit operable to receive, from a device, a duplication request for the content; a judging unit operable to judge whether the device is in the group or out of the group; and a control unit operable to duplicate the content to the device if said judging unit judges that the device is in the group, and impose restrictions on duplication of the content to the device if said judging unit judges that the device is out of the group.