IMAGE READING APPARATUS, COPYING MACHINE, IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND PROGRAM

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technology, capable of controlling the use of an image of an electronic document, containing document components in units of document components. SOLUTION: A read section 41 of a reading apparatus 40 reads a document image and a code image from a medium, a document image output section 42 outputs the document image, a code image analysis section 43 extracts information from the code image, and a discrimination section 44 compares the component levels, obtained on the basis of the extracted information with a permissible level in a level storage section 45 to discriminate whether the image of the document component can be copied. Furthermore, a level revising section 46 revises the permissible level in the level storage section 45. Meanwhile, a document image generating section 52 of a printer 50 generates a document image, resulting from deleting or painting over the document components, on the basis of the information from the reading apparatus 40; a code image generating section 52 generates code images; an image composite section 53 composites the document image and the code image; a printing control section 54 outputs the composited image or the like; and a printing section 55 forms the composited image on a medium. COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT