Patent ID: 7244009

Claim:
An ink cartridge holding at least ink type information indicative of an ink type of accumulated ink and ink type setting permission information for permitting a recording apparatus to set an ink type by utilizing the ink type information, wherein the ink type information and the ink type setting permission information are provided to the recording apparatus in a state of attachment to the recording apparatus, and an ink type to be used in the recording apparatus can be set on a condition that the ink type setting permission information is obtained in the recording apparatus; wherein the ink type information and the ink type setting permission information are stored in a semiconductor storage system mounted on the ink cartridge, and the ink type information and the ink type setting permission information can be provided to the recording apparatus in a state of attachment to the recording apparatus and wherein the ink type setting permission information stored in the semiconductor storage system can bring a state in which the ink type setting permission information cannot be reread or the ink type setting permission information can be erased upon receipt of a command from the recording apparatus.