Xerox Wins Patent for Blockchain system that tracks revisions to electronic documents

According to a patent filing which got published on Nov. 13, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has awarded Xerox a patent for a blockchain – driven auditing system for electronic files.

The patent describes a blockchain – based system for the secure recording of revisions made to electronic documents. Xerox – known mainly for printing and digital copying appliances, filed the patent in August 2017 for the very first time.

Owing to the decentralized verification mechanism, the system thus becomes resistant to tampering ,the filing states. The technology offered by Xerox can supposedly tracks the history of changes made & detect whether a file has been altered.

The filing implies that the management network will alert its users whenever a particular node fails to approve the document or the content differs from its verified version. Explaining the technology behind the patent, Xerox describes a series of blockchain nodes that may approve or dismiss each amendment mode.

This newly patented technology can be used to audit electronic files in many areas such as educational documents, medical, financial records and tax papers as far as Xerox has to be believed. The filing precisely mentions criminal investigations records such as DNA test results, interview notes and crime scene photos that must be safeguarded from tampering and alterations.

In the year 2016, Xerox filed for a similar patent which aimed in creating blockchain – based timestamp protocol for data such as copies or picture. According to the filing ,any mark which is related with crime can be submitted in court as evidence.

A report which published in september states that IBM had filed for more blockchain- related patent applications than any other company at the time of publication. A huge number of patent applications has been filed by major tech and electronics companies as well for various proprietary iterations andapplications of blockchain technology but as mentioned above IBM topped the list.

IBM, in order to aid scientific research and provide a record of its results aimed to use blockchain technology and filed for more than 90 blockchain patents.