Patent ID: 7224818

Claim:
An image processing apparatus comprising: first receiving means that receives information from a first scanning apparatus indicating the presence of a forgery-preventing function in the first scanning apparatus, and receiving information from a second scanning apparatus indicating the absence of a forgery-preventing function in the second scanning apparatus; second receiving means that receives information from a first printing apparatus indicating the presence of a forgery-preventing function in the first printing apparatus, and receiving information from a second printing apparatus indicating the absence of a forgery-preventing function in the second printing apparatus; generating means that generates a device information table on the basis of the information received by said first receiving means and the information received by the second receiving means; and controlling means that controls which printing apparatus is to print image data received from one of the first or second scanning apparatuses based on the device information table generated by the generating means, wherein the first receiving means and the second receiving means receive information indicative of the presence or absence of a forgery-preventing function when at least one of the first and second scanning apparatuses and the first and second printing apparatuses is changed.