Devices and methods for information processing and access control

An information processing apparatus networked with a plurality of user terminals, the apparatus comprising:

• a communications interface configured to,
• communicate with a first terminal of the user terminals to cause the first terminal to display a registration graphical user interface receiving a plurality of unique information pieces for a first user,
• communicate with a second terminal of the user terminals to cause the second terminal to display the registration graphical user interface receiving a plurality of unique information pieces for a second user, and
• communicate with the first terminal to cause the first terminal to display a sharing graphical user interface receiving user identification information for the second user in association with an electronic business document received from the first terminal;
• a first storage unit configured to store user information associating, for each individual user, user identification information identifying each of the individual users with the plurality of unique information pieces received from the registration graphical user interface for the individual user;
• a generation unit configured to generate a code for each of the individual users using the plurality of unique information pieces for the individual user and the user identification information of the individual user stored in the first storage unit, wherein the generating creates the code as a string stored in the first storage unit that is a concatenation of characters from characters in the unique information pieces of the individual user, wherein the user information further associates, for each individual user, the code for each individual user, and wherein the code is not displayed to the individual users;
• a second storage unit configured to store business document information for the electronic business document including the user identification information of a first user included in the user information stored in the first storage unit;
• and
• a processing unit that is configured to determine, upon receiving an access request for accessing the business document information from a second user whose user information is stored in the first storage unit, whether a first code of the first user matches a second code of the second user, and granting, when the first code and the second code match, the second user access rights to access the business document information that is generated by the first user and stored in the second storage unit.