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Sony patents technology to block secondhand games

Sony has submitted an application to patent an "electronic content processing system" that could link game discs to individuals.

Nic Healey Senior Editor / Australia
Nic Healey is a Senior Editor with CNET, based in the Australia office. His passions include bourbon, video games and boring strangers with photos of his cat.
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Nic Healey

Sony has submitted an application to patent an "electronic content processing system" that could link game discs to individuals.

(Credit: Sony)

Patent application number 20130007892 — initially spotted by an eagle-eyed NeoGAF member — is an "electronic content processing system" and "use apparatus" that would associate individual game discs with matched user accounts.

This means that Sony could potentially stop games from working on systems other than that of the original purchaser — essentially prohibiting the sale of secondhand titles or even lending discs to friends.

Our sister-site GameSpot noted: "the filing does not mention any specific system for its use, however, past speculation suggested Sony was interested in curbing secondhand sales with the PlayStation 4".

Read the full GameSpot report here.