To provide an electronic seal system that allows limiting the browsing/ printing of electronic documents simply by sticking imprint images onto the electronic documents to indicate that they are private, confidential, or for internal consumption only, etc.
Seal data 10 about imprint images indicating private, confidential, for internal consumption only, unprintable, expiration date, return required, urgent, uneditable, finished, top secret and the like are preset with program settings that match the seal images. The program settings of the seal data 10 attached to the electronic documents are read into document browsing/editing software for exclusive use with the electronic documents to provide the function of implementing the program. When a document creator sticks the imprint images onto the electronic documents, the document browsing/editing software implements a variety of programs for inhibiting the browsing/printing of the documents, etc.
Akio Najima
Fumio Yamamoto