Patents for Sale! – Identity News Digest

Welcome to FindBiometrics’ digest of identity industry news. Here’s what you need to know about the world of digital identity and biometrics today:

Privacy Rights Group Calls for Biometrics Regulation Amid HRC54

The 54th Session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC54) is underway this week in Geneva, and Article 19 is on hand to push for more privacy safeguards, including plans to advocate for the regulation of biometric technologies. Article 19 is a human rights organization focused on freedom of expression and freedom of information. In a statement, the group noted that biometric technologies increasingly being used to monitor populations in public and private settings, and said it will “call on governments to cease the use of biometric technologies for mass surveillance of public spaces,” and call for “a total ban on untenable biometric technologies, such as emotion recognition.”

Advisory Firm Seeks Buyer for Blockchain Biometrics IP

Hilco Streambank, an IP-focused advisory firm, has some patents for sale. The firm is advertising a portfolio of eight granted US patents and over 30 pending and issued patents worldwide, which broadly cover blockchain-based multi-factor biometric authentication. “The existing and potential technology applications covered by this portfolio are expansive and will likely touch on most of the digital transactions we as consumers and market participants will engage in forever moving forward in the modern digital landscape,” says Hilco Streambank SVP and head of patent advisory Karl Maersch. The portfolio dates back to 2016. Hilco is asking interested buyers to make an offer by October 13 of this year.

Dubai Airport Prepares for Launch of Curb-to-Gate Biometrics

Dubai International Airport is on the cusp of launching a curb-to-gate biometric passenger processing system based on face and iris recognition, according to an official. Speaking at a press conference announcing the upcoming International Conference on Policymaking: The Future of Ports, Major General Obaid bin Suroor, the Deputy Director-General of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), said that officials have been working on system for two years, and that it will be rolled out “very soon.”

New Partnerships in Physical Access, Casinos, and Mobile FinTech

Suprema America and BioConnect have announced plans to establish “a collaborative sales and support structure” to better serve customers in the physical access control market. It’s an expansion of their existing partnership, through which BioConnect has been offering Suprema’s fingerprint and facial recognition solutions to partners; BioConnect was Suprema’s top-performing sales partner during the 2020-2022 period. Now, BioConnect will officially become a value-added reseller for Suprema America, creating “a very cohesive partnership predicated on the strengths of each of our companies,” said Suprema America President Bob McKee.

A major gambling operator in Australia, meanwhile, has announced the “extension and expansion” of its partnership with Konami Gaming, with respect to the latter’s Synkros casino management solution. The Star Entertainment Group, which operates The Star Sydney, The Star Gold Coast, and The Star Brisbane, says it will leverage more advanced solutions from Konami including an identity management tool based on facial recognition and a digital wallet solution for cashless wagering, among others. Konami establishing a facial recognition licensing agreement with Independent Gaming, an Australian provider of gaming equipment for casinos, earlier this year.

Marygold & Co. has teamed up with Sardine and Incode Technologies to secure its FinTech platform. Launched in 2021, Marygold & Co. offers an eponymous mobile banking and payments platform offering FDIC-insured accounts with a Debit Mastercard. Sardine, meanwhile, is an anti-fraud and regulatory compliance specialist that works with Incode. Sardine brings to the table a risk scoring system based on behavioral biometrics and device analytics, while Incode is delivering a selfie-based onboarding system that uses facial recognition to compare an end user’s image to their official ID, thereby verifying their identity. The news comes after Incode teamed up with Simpello, an identity platform provider, earlier this summer.

VSBLTY Opens First ‘Store as a Medium’

VSBLTY has completed an initial deployment of its “Store as a Medium” concept, which revolves around the use of VSBLTY’s computer vision technology to analyze shoppers as they interact with media displays. VSBLTY’s smart signage is capable of using biometric technology to estimate the demographic attributes (such as gender and age) of shoppers, and will track how they engage with marketing media. The concept has been deployed in Brazil, in partnership with “a well-established and respected firm working with major global and national brands,” VSBLTY says.

Australian Government Approves Digital Statutory Declarations

The Australian government has introduced legislation to permanently approve the use of digital signatures and video-based witnessing for statutory declarations, which had previously been OK’d on a temporary basis during the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation also approves the use of the myGov ID Digital ID system for such transactions. The move comes after the government’s announcement in June of a “National Strategy for Identity Resilience” that recommended the use of biometrics in online identity verification, which could help to further influence the regulatory framework surrounding online transactions as it continues to evolve.

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September 12, 2023 – by Alex Perala