The present invention provides a method and an apparatus that, when a copying is limited as "Copy One Generation", prevent the copying from being made into infinite number of storage media without limitation, and thereby protect the profit of a copyright holder concerned.In the present invention, when outputting digital information whose copying is limited to external appliances connected to plural outputting circuits (315A, 315B, or 72A to 72D), the total number of external appliances to which the digital information is to be outputted is limited within a predetermined constant. In particular, a control circuit (311, or 73) limits the number in which to perform authentications of the external appliances connected to the plural outputting circuits. This makes it possible to limit, within the predetermined constant, the total number of the external appliances to which the digital information is to be outputted.