Amazon’s patent — dated May 26 — describes a “distributed ledger certification” system. The document explains that the tracking solution would ensure that consumer goods that are sold on its ecommerce site are authentic. The abstract reads:

“Features are disclosed for an interface for verifiable tracking of an item through a supply chain using a distributed electronic ledger.”

In the detailed description section of the patent, its author explains that the system at large aims to improve “trust through an enterprise services platform that allows parties to map their global supply chains.” The tracking solution would render the position of the items moving along the supply chain from production to the end user visible.

The system described in the document may also allow participants such as manufacturers, couriers, distributors, end users, and even secondary users to add events to the ledger after registering with a certification authority. The certification authority could also apply rules for testing and certification such as ensuring item quality through the supply chain or requiring certain certification steps before the item can continue moving forward.

Source: Amazon Patented a Blockchain System for Supply Chain Tracking