PURPOSE: To enable an owner of software to grasp the using status of the software by processing the stored contents of a history storing means of the using software in accordance with the inherent data of the software.

CONSTITUTION: The software owner P offers an onerous software PP including software inherent data Pi. When a request for using the software PP is generated in a user's data processing system DPS, a usable/disusable checking means CHECK checks the possibility for use of the specified software on the basis of user's inherent data USERID. When the use is O.K.'s, the message is information to an operating system of the system DPS and the data USERID and Pi are stored in the software history storing means SH. The contents of the means SH can be recognized by the owner P and a software rate can be found out for every software owner on the basis of the contents of the means SH.