Method and device for distributing electronic documents

A device for distributing an electronic document, comprising:

• a first unit, adapted to register first authorized copies information of an electronic document in or out the electronic document;
• a second unit, adapted to send the electronic document and second authorized copies information to a user, wherein the second authorized copies information is used to record a second number of authorized copies for the electronic document which the user may distribute, and the second number of authorized copies recorded by the second authorized copies information is less than or equal to a first number of authorized copies currently recorded in the first authorized copies information;
• a third unit, adapted to update the first authorized copies information recorded in the first unit using the second authorized copies information sent by the second unit, wherein updated first number of authorized copies recorded in the updated first authorized copies information is equal to a value obtained by subtracting the second number of authorized copies from the first number of authorized copies recorded in the first authorized copies information last time.