Abstract: A print managing apparatus is provided, which is able to reduce the possibility of information leakage due to the printed material, without implementing a new function in the network printer. When there is a directive to perform printing, the print managing apparatus generates a release key, incorporates the generated release key in the print data, and transfers the print data to the network printer. Then, the print managing apparatus displays on the display device, a screen prompting for a release key that corresponds to the release key, which is printed on a printed medium together with the print data.

Abstract: A print management system is provided with a printer having a tag reader that reads a unique identifier of an IC tag attached to a medium, a log server that acquires information related to printing on the medium as a log, an ID management server that receives the identifier read by the tag reader, links the identifier to the time of printing on the medium or time at which the information of the IC tag is received and holds them in a storage and a print log integrating server that transmits the identifier of the IC tag attached to the medium to the ID management server, acquires the time at which the identifier is received from the ID management server, acquires logs in the vicinity of the time from the log server, links the log and the medium, stores and manages them in the storage.

Abstract: A copy machine control apparatus that can realize copy management of a print, editing a duplicate, management of distribution destinations of a duplicate, and control of outward transmission of a duplicate, by the use of a conventional digital copy machine. The copy machine control apparatus acquires a scan image of a print from a digital copy machine, processes the acquired scan image, and thereafter returns the processed scan image to the digital copy machine to print the processed scan image on a substrate.

Abstract: In a thin client system, a PC authentication device which authenticates a client is set in an office of the client. Data existing in a server is printed by using a printer provided in the vicinity of a client PC according to the following steps. (1) The PC authentication device performs authentication with the client PC and acquires an identifier IDa of the client PC. (2) The PC authentication device notifies the server of the identifier IDa of the client PC and an identifier IDb of the PC authentication device. (3) The server registers the printer provided in the office where the PC authentication device having the identifier IDb is set as a printer which can be used by the client PC having the identifier Ida. According to the above-described flow, when the client PC is coupled with the server, the printer can be used.