Recording and reproducing apparatus adapted to selectively control the number of copies made

Claim 2

A recording and reproducing apparatus comprising: reproducing means for reproducing from a recording medium first information indicating how many times predetermined information has been reproduced for copying from the recording medium and second information indicating how many times the predetermined information is permitted to be reproduced for copying from the recording medium; determining means for comparing the first information and the second information reproduced by said reproducing means and for determining whether it is possible to perform reproducing for copying of the predetermined information according to the compared result; updating means for updating the first information reproduced by said reproducing means; and recording means for recording the first information which has been updated by said updating means on the recording medium.

Claim 3

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recording medium includes a magnetic tape.

Claim 4

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said determining means makes it possible to perform copying when the number of times the given information has been copied as indicated by the first information is not greater than the number of times the given information is permitted to be copied as indicated by the second information.

Claim 5

A reproducing apparatus comprising: reproducing means for reproducing from a recording medium first information indicating how many times predetermined information has been reproduced for copying from the recording medium and second information indicating how many times the predetermined information is permitted to be reproduced for copying from the recording medium; updating means for updating the first information reproduced by said reproducing means; output means for outputting the first information undated by said updating means to a recording device which records the first information; and control means for setting said recording device into a possible-to-record state or an impossible-to-record state on the basis of the first information and the second information reproduced by said reproducing means.

Claim 6

A reproducing apparatus comprising: reproducing means for reproducing from a recording medium first information indicating how many times predetermined information has been reproduced for copying from the recording medium and second information indicating how many times the predetermined information is permitted to be reproduced for copying from the recording medium; updating means for updating the first information reproduced by said reproducing means; output means for outputting the first information undated by said updating means to a recording device which records the first information; and control means for setting said recording device into a possible-to-record state or an impossible-to-record state on the basis of the first information and the second information reproduced by said reproducing means.

Claim 7

A system according to claim 4, wherein said control means updates the first information output from said reproducing means and causes the updated first information and the second information to be supplied to said recording means.

Claim 8

A system according to claim 4, wherein said control means makes the number of times the given information is permitted to be copied as indicated by the first information output from said reproducing means to be "0".

Claim 9

A system according to claim 4, wherein said recording medium includes a magnetic tape.

Claim 10

A system according to claim 4, wherein said control means brings said recording means into the impossible-to-record state when the number of times the given information has been copied as indicated by the first information is equal to the number of times the given information is permitted to be copied as indicated by the second information and thereupon stops the reproduced information from being supplied to said recording means.

Claim 11

A system according to claim 4, wherein said control means brings said recording means into the possible-to-record state when the number of times the given information has been copied as indicated by the first information is not greater than the number of times the given information is permitted to be copied as indicated by the second information.

Claim 12

A recording medium storing predetermined information to be reproduced, comprising: (a) a first area on which predetermined information to be reproduced for copying is recorded, and (b) a second area on which data indicating how many times said predetermined information is permitted to be reproduced for copying and data indicating how many times said predetermined information has been reproduced for copying are recorded, wherein rewriting of said data is enabled, said data indicating how many times said predetermined information has been reproduced for copying.

Claim 13

A recording medium storing predetermined information to be reproduced, comprising: (a) a first area on which predetermined information to be reproduced for copying is recorded, and (b) a second area on which data indicating how many times said predetermined information is permitted to be reproduced for copying and data indicating how many times said predetermined information has been reproduced for copying are recorded, wherein rewriting of said data is enabled, said data indicating how many times said predetermined information has been reproduced for copying.

Claim 14

A recording medium according to claim 10, including a magnetic tape.

Claim 15

A recording medium according to claim 10 wherein said numerical data indicating how many times said predetermined information is permitted to be reproduced for copying and said numerical data indicating how many times said predetermined information has been reproduced for copying are recorded in different positions on said recording medium.

Claim 16

A reproducing apparatus comprising: reproducing means for reproducing from a recording medium first information indicating how many times predetermined information has been reproduced for copying from the recording medium and second information indicating how many times the predetermined information is permitted to be reproduced for copying from the recording medium, said predetermined information; second information setting means for setting a number in said second information reproduced by said reproducing means to "0"; outputting means for outputting the predetermined information reproduced by said reproducing means and the second information set by said second information setting means to a recording device which records the predetermined information and the second information output from said outputting means; and control means for controlling an output operation of said outputting means on the basis of said first information and said second information reproduced by said reproducing means.

Claim 17

A reproducing apparatus comprising: reproducing means for reproducing from a recording medium first information indicating how many times predetermined information has been reproduced for copying from the recording medium and second information indicating how many times the predetermined information is permitted to be reproduced for copying from the recording medium, said predetermined information; second information setting means for setting a number in said second information reproduced by said reproducing means to "0"; outputting means for outputting the predetermined information reproduced by said reproducing means and the second information set by said second information setting means to a recording device which records the predetermined information and the second information output from said outputting means; and control means for controlling an output operation of said outputting means on the basis of said first information and said second information reproduced by said reproducing means.

Claim 18

An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said recording medium includes a magnetic tape.

Claim 19

An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said control means causes the reproduced information to be output when the number of times the given information has been copied as indicated by the first information is not greater than the number of times the given information is permitted to be copied as indicated by the second information.

Claim 22

A reproducing apparatus being used for copying information, comprising: reading means for reading from a storage device predetermined information, first data indicating how many times said predetermined information has been read from the storage device and second data indicating how many times said predetermined information is permitted to be read from the storage device and for supplying the predetermined information, the first data, and the second data, said storage device being attachable and detachable to said apparatus; determining means for comparing the first data and the second data supplied by said reading means and for determining whether it is possible to perform supplying of the predetermined information according to the compared result; updating means for updating the first data supplied by said reading means; and writing means for writing the first data updated by said updating means into said storage device.

Claim 23

A reproducing apparatus being used for copying information, comprising: reading means for reading from a storage device predetermined information, first data indicating how many times said predetermined information has been read from the storage device and second data indicating how many times said predetermined information is permitted to be read from the storage device and for supplying the predetermined information, the first data, and the second data, said storage device being attachable and detachable to said apparatus; determining means for comparing the first data and the second data supplied by said reading means and for determining whether it is possible to perform supplying of the predetermined information according to the compared result; updating means for updating the first data supplied by said reading means; and writing means for writing the first data updated by said updating means into said storage device.

Claim 24

An apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising output means for outputting the predetermined information supplied by said reading means to a peripheral device.

Claim 25

An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said storage device has a tape-shaped recording medium on which the predetermined information is stored.

Claim 26

An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said predetermined information includes digital image data.