There's something magical about getting an autograph from a favorite musician, author or artist, and now Apple is looking to translate that experience to digital content.
Apple's latest scheme, as described in a patent discovered by AppleInsider, would potentially allow artists and other creators to leave digital signatures on fans' devices.
The signatures would be unique and tied permanently to the recipient's copy of the digital content being signed, and would naturally be authenticated and exist on the cloud.
That's right. The new-age problem of coming face-to-face with an idol only to realize you've got nothing for them to sign (vinyl fans with records in-hand notwithstanding) could soon become a thing of the past.
Digital signing
The patent, titled "Embedding an autograph in an electronic book," focuses extensively on ebooks and the ability for an author to leave digital signatures on fans' copies.
The act could even be limited geographically so that signatures could only be issued at a certain time and place, like in a book store during a signing.
The authentication happens on the author's device, which carries certification of the author's identity that's then transferred along with with the autograph itself over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to fans' devices.
In other examples, the signing happens remotely over the internet.
Save the Sharpies!
Digital autographs could theoretically be applied to movies, music and other types of content, not just books, though things get murkier when there's not an obvious location to leave a mark.
Naturally, just like in real life, the autographs wouldn't be limited only to actual signatures, and artists would potentially be able to send photos, sound bites and more.
Digital signatures could add value to online content being sold through marketplaces like iTunes, not to mention creating another way for eager fans to interact with their favorite artists.
And hey, it will save a lot of precious Sharpie ink if this ever makes it out into the world.
Via TechCrunch
