To prevent the copy of software by providing software capable of operating only by specific hardware (equipment).

At the time of preparing an execution file, at least a position designation pattern and a copyright pattern are embedded. This file is encoded, and installed in hardware in the following procedure. The encoded file is decoded, and the specific information of hardware is acquired, and an execution validity/invalidity pattern is generated by using the information and the copyright pattern. The execution validity/invalidity pattern is embedded at a prescribed position indicated by a position designation pattern so that the execution file can be finished. The execution file generates the execution validity/invalidity pattern from the specific information of the hardware and the copyright pattern. Then, this execution validity/invalidity pattern is compared with the execution validity/invalidity pattern embedded in the execution file itself so that the execution validity/invalidity can be judged.