In the race to develop blockchain technology, companies are increasingly devoting capital to creating proprietary blockchain solutions. A search of the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (“USPTO”) as of today returns 343 patent applications that contain either “blockchain” or “distributed ledger” in the abstract. Patents are being filed related to a wide variety of industries and applications, including supply chain management, autonomous deliveries, energy networks, electronic health records, 3D printing, travel itinerary management, data security and securing rights to digital media.
The list below is not exhaustive, and represents a sample of some of the blockchain-related patent applications that have been publicly released during the last few months.
Cisco Technology, Inc.
Fujitsu Limited
- “Apparatus And Method to Perform Secure Data Sharing in a Distributed Network by Using a Blockchain”
General Electric Company
Mastercard International Incorporated
- “Method and System for Travel Itinerary Bidding Via Blockchain”
- “Methods and Systems for Authenticating Coupons Via Blockchain”
- “Method and System for Net Settlement by Use of Cryptographic Promissory Notes Issued on a Blockchain”
Moog, Inc.
International Business Machines Corporation
- “Tracking Shipments with a Local and Remote Blockchain”
- “Blockchain-Based Food Product Shelf-Life Management”
- “Trustable Web Searching Verification in a Blockchain”
- “Autonomous Peer-to-Peer Energy Networks Operating on a Blockchain”
- “Detecting Medical Fraud and Medical Misuse Using a Shared Virtual Ledger”
- “Blockchain Gaming”
- “Verifying Reviews on a Blockchain”
Sony Corporation / Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc.
Walmart Stores, Inc.
PartnerMayme is co-head of the Firm’s Technology Industry Group. She counsels clients on securities law matters, capital markets transactions, mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance issues. She is also a leader of the ...
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On January 12, 2024, the New York State Department of Financial Services (“NYDFS”) announced a consent order with virtual currency company Genesis Global Trading, Inc. (“Genesis”) for “significant” failings in Genesis’ Anti-Money Laundering and cybersecurity compliance frameworks. According to the NYDFS, Genesis’ failure to comply with the NYDFS’ virtual currency and cybersecurity regulations left the company vulnerable to cybersecurity risks and related unlawful activity.
On January 8, 2024, the CFTC’s Technology Advisory Committee issued a detailed report on decentralized finance, or DeFi. The report, which was authored by the Subcommittee on Digital Assets and Blockchain Technology, notes that DeFi offers both promising opportunities and complex, significant risks to the US financial system, consumers and national security.
The Hunton Blockchain Blog features opinions and legal analysis as we follow the development and use of distributed ledger technology known as the blockchain.
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