Xerox Awarded Patent for Blockchain Document Revision Solution

Xerox filed its patent documentation in August 2017, but the USPTO decision was published on November 13th, 2018.

The patent paperwork describes a blockchain-based system implementation, dealing with electronic document revision safety.

The Xerox software allows users to track and record any changes to a given document, as well as what type of changes were made. Focused on decentralization, the company’s verification mechanism gives users security against document tampering.

Diving deeper into the blockchain software, Xerox explains how a series of nodes approves or dismisses eacdoch change to the document. The management network then notifies users if a blockchain node fails to accept a particular document or the contents are different from the already approved versions.

The team at Xerox has designed the new technology having in mind the needs of governments, medical, financial and educational institutions, as well as for paying taxes. The company emphasizes on protecting sensitive evidence such as DNA analysis, crime scene photos, interview notes, and personal files.

This patent is not Xerox’s first try at blockchain innovations – in 2016 the company filed a patent for timestamping photos and documents over the blockchain. According to Xerox, the timestamp can be used as legal evidence in court.

The blockchain is getting recognized by most of the major tech companies, and patents for blockchain-based applications and software are being filed every day. IBM, for example, filed over 90 patents for blockchain innovations.