Patent ID: 8115965

Claim:
An image processing apparatus comprising: a reader unit configured to read an image on an original; an extracting unit configured to extract specific information contained in the image read by said reader unit; a determining unit configured to determine based on the information extracted by said extracting unit whether or not the original is an original document; an authenticating unit configured to perform user authentication using respectively different pieces of authentication information in respective cases where the original is determined to be an original document and where the original is not determined to be an original document; and a control unit configured to restrict a specific process based on the image read by said reader unit, according to a result of the user authentication by said authenticating unit, wherein the specific information comprises first information which is lost by copying of an original document and second information which is not lost by copying of an original document, wherein said extracting unit is capable of extracting the first information and the second information, the first information and second information, when extracted, representing different authentication information, wherein said determining unit determines that the original is an original document when the first information and the second information are extracted by said extracting unit, and determines that the original is not an original document when the second information is extracted by said extracting unit without the first information being extracted by said extracting unit, and wherein said authenticating unit uses the first information as the authentication information when the original is determined to be an original document, and uses the second information as the authentication information when the original is not determined to be an original document.