Fact Check: Fact And Fiction About Microsoft Patent Application 'WO2020060606 - CRYPTOCURRENCY SYSTEM USING BODY ACTIVITY DATA'

Fact Check

  • by: Alexis Tereszcuk
Fact Check: Fact And Fiction About Microsoft Patent Application 'WO2020060606 - CRYPTOCURRENCY SYSTEM USING BODY ACTIVITY DATA' Scare Stories

Did Microsoft file a patent application with the number 060606 for body-interfaced cryptocurrency to be implanted in humans, as well as include 5G wireless technology and vaccines? No, that's not entirely true: Microsoft did file a patent application for "cryptocurrency system using body activity data" and was given the number W020200060606, but the application was actually filed in 2019 and does not mention implants, 5G or vaccines.

Many claims have appeared in online posts and memes making the rounds about the application, including a post (archived here) on Facebook on April 18, 2020.

This is what the post looked like on Facebook at the time of writing:

Facebook screenshot

The full text of the Facebook post is here:

Oh please, Mr. Gates, give me a mandatory vaccine with a chip in it so you can watch my every move and control the data in my chip if you feel like it! You are a philanthropist who cares about others! That's why you want 7 billion people to not have large gatherings until you save us all with your vaccine! I'll be the first in line...

Or maybe you'll just place sensors on my body for the mining process? I doubt it unless they can be permanently affixed. And since you're the God of vaccines.

Here's the link to the patent publication number. Isn't the number just crazy? It makes it look fake. But it's not.

Microsoft Technology Licensing, the licensing arm of Microsoft Corp., has been granted an international patent for a "cryptocurrency system using body activity data." The patent was published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) on March 26. The application was filed on June 20 last year.

You can search international patents here. Just put in the patent number. https://www.epo.org/searching-for-patents/technical/espacenet.html

Or just click link here that goes to patent page:
https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/search/family/067396975/publication/WO2020060606A1?called_by=epo.org&q=WO2020060606

And, instead of telling me this is conspiracy theory or that Gates is a good guy, just block me now and save us both the irritation. Many thanks.

#DeepStateSucks

https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=WO2020060606"

Here are more examples of posts and memes claiming the Microsoft patent is for nefarious use.

And:

The list goes on, but very little being said about the patent is anything short of conspiracy scaremongering. So, let's unpack some of the history and the claims below.

According to Espacenet, a database by the European Patent Office, the patent description is as follows:

CRYPTOCURRENCY SYSTEM USING BODY ACTIVITY DATA
Abstract
Human body activity associated with a task provided to a user may be used in a mining process of a cryptocurrency system. A server may provide a task to a device of a user which is communicatively coupled to the server. A sensor communicatively coupled to or comprised in the device of the user may sense body activity of the user. Body activity data may be generated based on the sensed body activity of the user. The cryptocurrency system communicatively coupled to the device of the user may verify if the body activity data satisfies one or more conditions set by the cryptocurrency system, and award cryptocurrency to the user whose body activity data is verified."

The application was filed on June 20, 2019, and was assigned an application number of US2019038084WΒ·2019-06-20. The publication date of the application was March 26, 2020, and it was then assigned the number WO2020060606A1.

The explanation of the publication date is found on the website.

Publication
Patent document made available to the public, to which a publication number and a publication date have been assigned by a patent authority.
Publication date
The date on which a patent document is published, thereby making it part of the state of the art."

Despite claims in some posts, the patent has not been approved as of April 23. According to the World Intellectual Property Organization, the process for patents can be from 18 to 30 months:

You have, in most cases, up to an additional 18 months from the time you file your international patent application (or usually 30 months from the filing date of the initial patent application of which you claim priority before you have to begin the national phase procedures with individual patent Offices and to fulfill the national requirements.

A brief description of blockchain, according to pwc.com:

Blockchain is the technology that enables the existence of cryptocurrency (among other things).

What is blockchain technology?
A blockchain is a decentralized ledger of all transactions across a peer-to-peer network. Using this technology, participants can confirm transactions without a need for a central clearing authority. Potential applications can include fund transfers, settling trades, voting, and many other issues."

The memes that went viral note that the patent number is a variation of "666" which users associated with the biblical "mark of the beast." The actual number is WO2020060606A1.

The WO in the patent stands for the governing body that will be granting the patent - the WIPO.

A claim in memes and some accompanying posts is that the patent will use sensors placed in the human body. But the patent application shows that a person would have a sensor that would be in a "device" that would communicate the information to the "communication network" that would then share the information with the "cryptocurrency system."

There is no mention of putting sensors in the body, and the drawing for the patent clearly shows the person separate from the sensor that would be in the device:

WO_2020060606_A1.png

Within the "Original Documents" there is a description of the user devices, and microchips are never mentioned.

User device may include personal computers, servers, cell phones, tablets, laptops, smart devices (e.g. smart watches or smart televisions)."

Another false claim about the patent application is that it will be using "5G." While tech firms like Microsoft try to use the latest technology in their products, there is nothing in the patent description saying 5G wireless communication technology would be used.

Also, several memes have mentioned vaccines as part of the patent application, but there is no mention of vaccines in the application.

Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, is the subject of many conspiracies, including that he wants to vaccinate the entire world, and then control people through vaccinations.


  Alexis Tereszcuk

Alexis Tereszcuk is a writer and fact checker at Lead Stories and an award-winning journalist who spent over a decade breaking hard news and celebrity scoop with RadarOnline and Us Weekly.

As the Entertainment Editor, she investigated Hollywood stories and conducted interviews with A-list celebrities and reality stars.  

Alexis’ crime reporting earned her spots as a contributor on the Nancy Grace show, CNN, Fox News and Entertainment Tonight, among others.

Read more about or contact Alexis Tereszcuk

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