Purdue Pharma of Connecticut is patenting a system for ensuring that
documents are destroyed soon after they have been read (WO 98/58321). With
Microsoft Word documents, a special instruction, or macro, is added to the
file—just like a Word virus. Plain text is encrypted so it can be read
only by a special program. Either way, however, when a document is opened, the
software checks the date and erases it if it has been on a computer for more
than a set period. The same system can be used to send documents over the
Internet, which recipients can keep only if they pay for a key code.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Technology
AI could offer a shortcut for designing more efficient airplane wings
News
Technology
Feeding our books into generative AI risks creating a cultural void
91É«Ç鯬
Technology
Quantum computing may be facing a replication crisis
News
Technology
Rogue hacking AIs have changed the cybersecurity landscape
News
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles