Sony patents technology to block pre-owned games

Sony Computer Entertainment has patented technology that could make pre-owned games unplayable on different consoles.

Users on NeoGAF spotted the patent, with the technology 'tagging' copies of games with details of which consoles and accounts they have been used with.

Consoles will check the tag before the game starts up and there is the potential for pre-owned games to be blocked if they have different tags.

"According to the present embodiment, realised is the electronic content processing system that reliably restricts the use of electronic content dealt in the second-hand markets," reads the patent.

"As a result, the dealing of electronic content in the second-hand markets is suppressed, which in turn supports the redistribution of part of proceeds from sales of the electronic content to the developers."

The patent goes on to say that images and music could also be tagged.

"Though in the following description a game application (AP) is exemplified as the electronic content, the present embodiment is similarly applicable to various kinds of electronic content such as an office suite, images and music content."

The patent backs up rumours of the PlayStation 4 locking out pre-owned and used games.