Abstract: A consumer terminal reads a unique code that is assigned to a product uniquely and transmits an inquiry about the product to a base web server of a base system over a network. The base web server makes a search to judge whether a URL of a maker web server is correlated with the unique code of the inquiry product. If making an affirmative judgment, the base web server transfers the inquiry from the consumer to the maker web server. In response to the transferred inquiry, the maker web server transmits information that is stored to be correlated with the unique code of the inquiry product to the consumer terminal.

Abstract: A unique code issuing system is provided in which each company can easily and reliably perform identification management of individuals. A reception server (11) receives issuance requests for unique codes from a 5 plurality of independent requesting sources (request servers 21, 31, 41). When a unique code is issued, a UC issuing server (12) refers to an accumulation database (13) for accumulating already-issued unique codes. The UC issuing server (12) issues at random a new unique code that is unique and different from the already-issued unique codes, and then 10 accumulates the issued unique code as an already-issued unique code into the accumulation database (13).

Abstract: In a printer comprising a printing means for performing printing on a continuous paper in response to a print data and a cutter unit for cutting the continuous paper in the paper width direction upon completion of printing, a printed paper needs to be sorted out easily and clearly depending on jobs. To meet the demand, the printer is provided with a rotary blade and a fixed blade which cut the continuous paper in the paper width direction which crosses perpendicularly to the paper feed direction and it is further provided with a carriage for holding the rotary blade so as to be movable in the paper width direction. The carriage has a shading piece. Sensors are disposed at the position corresponding to the position where the cutting amount of the paper in the paper width direction is set to be smaller than the entire paper width. When the sensors detect the shading piece, the rotary blade stops moving to thereby stop the cutting operation.