A story is making its way around cyberspace today at lighting speed, with the worrying message that Sony is planning to prevent people from playing pre-owned games on their PS3.

The source of this rumor is a patent document that Sony holds on a technology which can prevent games from being played on any other machine than the game first was played on.

"A device and method for protection of legitimate software against used software and counterfeit software in recording media. The device includes a disk is set in a main unit. A specific title code is read, and if this title code has been registered, the main unit shifts to a normal operation. If the code has not been registered, verification software is initiated, PG detection is performed, and when a PG pattern and verification data match, the code is registered in the COCT. If matching does not occur, the disk is processed as illegitimate software."

The PS3 isn’t mentioned anywhere in the patent, but is obviously a Sony product where such a technology could be used, not that it would ever happen, or so we hope…

Source: Gamerandy.com via Joystiq.com