Patent ID: 8059300

Claim:
A printing apparatus connected to an information processing apparatus via a network, the printing apparatus comprising: a print job receiving unit that receives a print job sent from the information processing apparatus; a storage unit that stores the print job received by the print job receiving unit; an input unit that receives an input of identification information; a reading unit that is capable of reading medium unique information stored in an information storage medium; a print data decrypting unit that decrypts encrypted print data; an output unit that performs printing output based on print data; and a control unit that, when print data included in the print job received by the print job receiving unit has been encrypted, retains the encrypted print data in the storage unit until the input unit has received an input of identification information, in response to the input unit having received an input of identification information, controls the print data decrypting unit to decrypt the encrypted print data using the identification information and the output unit to print and output the decrypted print data, when print data included in the print job received by the print job receiving unit has medium unique information embedded therein, retains the print data having the medium unique information embedded therein in the storage unit until the reading unit has read medium identification information, in response to matching between the medium unique information read by the reading unit from the information storage medium and the information embedded in the print data, controls the output unit to print and output the print data, and when print data included in the print job received by the job receiving unit is unencrypted and there is no medium unique information embedded in the print data, controls the output unit to print and output the print data without receiving an input of identification information by the input unit and reading medium unique information by the reading unit.