IBM applies for anti-piracy patent

IBM has applied for a patent which could see machines being produced that prevent the user from printing copyright infringing material.

The patent, applied for at the US Patent and Trademark Office, would prevent material including books, photography and academic texts from being printed unless there was permission to do so.

Called “Copyright infringement prevention,” the patent was published on May 12.

In its abstract for the patent IBM said a computer will analyse the file for material “indicative of copyright infringement”.

“The computer determines whether the file may be printed based, at least in part, on the identified potential copyrighted material.”

IBM is known for the large number of patent applications it has filed.

Earlier this year, WIPR reported that IBM had topped the list of recipients of US patents in 2015. IBM was granted 7,355 patents in the calendar year, a slight dip compared to 2014’s total of 7,534. However, the company still topped the list for the 23rd year in succession.