Patent ID: 7800771

Claim:
An image formation system comprising a plurality of digital copying machines that are connected to each other and are configured to share and execute a common job, wherein each of the digital copying machines has a link copy function under which a document is set in one of the digital copying machines so as to be scanned and at least two digital copying machines share the job of executing link copy operation so as to output copies of the document, and a printer function under which a printer operation is executed according to a print request from the outside, and each of the digital copying machines includes a user interface that allows the user, before starting the link copy operation, to select one of a permit mode or a prohibit mode by a user prompt, so that in a case where the link copy function is interrupted, the printer operation is permitted when the permit mode was selected, and the printer operation is prohibited when the prohibit mode was selected, and wherein when the digital copying machine receives the print request form the outside and the permit mode was selected, the digital copying machine determines whether the link copy function is interrupted, and after it is determined that the link copy function is interrupted, the digital copying machine executes the printer operation in response to the print request, and after the digital copying machine receives the print request from the outside and the prohibit mode was selected, the digital copying machine puts the print request on hold until the link copy operation is finished.