Japanese technology multinational Sony revealed it is working on a blockchain-powered extension of its digital rights management system Monday, Oct. 15. The project is a joint endeavor with both Sony Music Entertainment Japan and Sony Global Education. The as yet unnamed project — the commercialization of which is currently being “considered” — specifically targets “managing rights-related information of written works.” The announcement comes around a year after Sony announced its original blockchain product for education data, when it partnered with fellow technology giant IBM. The press release notes that this “new system” is built off of Sony and Sony Global …

Japanese electronics giant Sony has filed two patents for boosting blockchain-based ecosystems, according to filings 20180218027 and 20180219686 published by the U.S. Patent and Trademarks Office (USPTO) Aug. 2. Through the patents, Sony intends to improve the design and structure of blockchain hardware by introducing new circuitries to the processes of distributed ledger technology. The first application, entitled "Electronic Node and Method for Maintaining a Distributed Ledger," describes an electronic device for maintaining a blockchain based on multiple electronics nodes, including multiple blocks associated with at least one of the existing blocks. The patent explains a scheme of adding new …