Patent ID: 7577391

Claim:
An image processing apparatus comprising: an input unit for inputting image information; a generating unit for generating output limitation information corresponding to the image information input by the input unit, the generated output limitation information indicating a limitation of the number of outputs of the input image information; a storing unit for storing the image information input by the input unit and the output limitation information generated by the generating unit; a reading unit for reading a document, wherein the document contains specifying information specifying the image information stored by the storing unit; an output unit for outputting the specified image information stored by the storing unit in accordance with reading of the specifying information by the reading unit; a counting unit for counting the number of outputs by the output unit every time the image information stored by the storing unit is output by the output unit; and an output control unit for determining whether to allow the outputting of the image information specified by reading the specifying information based on the output limitation information corresponding to the image information and the number of outputs counted by the counting unit and for controlling the outputting of the image information by the output unit in accordance with the determination, wherein the output control unit determines that outputting by the output unit of the image information specified by reading the specifying information is to be limited in a case where the number of outputs counted by the counting unit exceeds the limitation of the number of outputs of the input image information indicated by the generated output limitation information.