E-Books coming to PSP?

TOKYO--Sony Computer Entertainment may be planning to bring digitized texts to the PSP. The company recently filed trademarks for "PSP Comics," "PSP Books," and "PSP Magazine" with the Japan Patent Office.

Other trademarks filed by SCE include "Xross Media Entertainment," "GT-Magazine Mail," "N.U.M.," "Double Smash," and "Kunoichi Densetsu."

Xross Media Entertainment in particular has been filed under multiple spellings and abbreviations, including Xhross Media Entertainment, XME, XROME, and XHROME. The name resembles the Xross Media Bar, which is the graphical interface used in the PSP and PSX.

GT-Magazine Mail sounds like a possible magazine service for the Gran Turismo driving simulation series, while the remaining three trademarks sound like possible game titles. (Kunoichi Densetsu translates into English as "The Legend of the Female Ninja.")

These trademarks could foretell future products, or they could simply be a cautionary measure to head off any possible property poachers. It's common, however, for companies to register trademarks and never use them.