Patent ID: 8564811

Claim:
A method for printing a locked print job by a printing device connected to a client terminal over a network, the method comprising: receiving, in the client terminal, a request to distribute the locked print job to a plurality of users, the request including information identifying the plurality of users; generating, by the client terminal, the locked print job in response to the request, the locked print job including a print job language (PJL) command or comment identifying the locked print job as being distributed; transmitting, by the client terminal, the locked print job and the information identifying the plurality of users to the printing device over the network; receiving, in the printing device, the locked print job and the information identifying the plurality of users transmitted by the client terminal; storing, in the printing device, the locked print job, the information identifying the plurality of users, and authentication information, the authentication information being configured to unlock the locked print job when entered into the printing device; transmitting the authentication information to the plurality of users; and outputting, by the printing device, the locked print job, when the authentication information is entered into the printing device.