Bitcoin

<p>Lately, there has been extensive discussion about various applications of blockchain technology, and the field of intellectual property is one of the most promising areas for its use. Olga Maryukhina, a graduate expert of the BCL additional education program, exclusively shares in this material for ForkLog what copyright is and how to protect it using blockchain technology.</p><h2 id="header-0">What is Intellectual Property and How to Protect It?</h2><p>In legal terms, intellectual property encompasses the results of intellectual activity and equivalent means of individualizing legal entities, goods, works, services, and enterprises, which are granted legal protection.</p><p>In simpler terms, intellectual property includes objects of copyright, such as literary, scientific, and artistic works, audiovisual works, design works, architecture, photography, computer programs, databases, as well as inventions, utility models, industrial designs, trademarks, and other means of individualization, know-how, and much more.</p><p>The primary international agreement forming the basis of the international copyright protection system is the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berne_Convention" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works</a> of September 9, 1886.</p><p>One of the fundamental principles of copyright is that rights to works arise at the moment of their creation and are protected globally, regardless of registration in any registry. In contrast, for the recognition of exclusive rights to objects of industrial property, registration is usually required.</p><p>On the one hand, the absence of the need to go through the bureaucratic procedure of state registration of a work is an advantage for the author. However, in the event of rights violations (e.g., unauthorized use of a work, plagiarism), the author of the work must prove their authorship.</p><p>The issue of copyright infringement is particularly acute on the internet. In addition to this, in connection with the use and dissemination of works protected by copyright, other legal issues may arise, some of which can be successfully addressed using blockchain technology.</p><h2 id="header-1">How to Confirm Authorship and Origin of a Work?</h2><p>As mentioned earlier, the law does not require authors to carry out any formal procedures to establish their rights to their work. The most obvious way to confirm authorship is to provide the original or a copy of the work, which typically includes information about the authors and the date of publication. In addition to this, many authors simply send a copy of the work to themselves by mail or deposit a copy of the work with a notary.</p><h2 id="header-2">How to Protect Copyright with Blockchain Technology Today?</h2><p>Obviously, preserving work in a public decentralized registry (on the blockchain) is ideally suited for fixing such facts. Currently, there are several services (e.g., <a href="https://proofofexistence.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Proof of Existence</a>, Emernotar, Depositor) that use blockchain to hash the uploaded file of the work, and the result (a unique file fingerprint - a hash) is recorded on the blockchain. This record includes timestamps, and no changes can be made to it. In case of verification, a rehashing operation is performed, and the obtained hash is compared with the hash stored on the blockchain. A match in hashes guarantees that a specific file was entered into the blockchain at a specific point in time.</p><p>Compared to traditional depositing of works, blockchain significantly simplifies the procedure for establishing authorship, reducing its time and cost. In addition, these records remain in the registry regardless of the existence of a depositary organization.</p><h2 id="header-3">Pros and Cons of Copyright Protection with Blockchain</h2><p>Blockchain is a relatively new technology, and not all government authorities and judicial bodies may currently accept such proof as evidence, as questions about the legal status of operators of such registries and their responsibility for the accuracy of the information contained therein remain unclear.</p><p>By analogy with the procedure described above, entering information into the blockchain about the status of a work and the disposition of rights also allows any individual to easily and promptly obtain the necessary information about who owns the rights to various works, whether they can be used, and in what manner.</p><p>This use of blockchain is particularly relevant today because with the development of the internet, objects of copyright can be used in various jurisdictions, including with infringements. Due to the absence of the need for copyright registration, there is no centralized registry for these objects, and information about works is scattered across databases of collective management organizations, publishers, record companies, museum catalogs, and galleries. Therefore, it is often challenging to identify the rights holder and obtain permission to use a work.</p><p>Blockchain enables any individual anywhere in the world to quickly access information about rights holders and the use of a work without the involvement of intermediaries.</p><h2 id="header-4">How to control the use and distribution of objects of copyright and receive copyright royalties?</h2><p>From the above, another possible application of blockchain in copyright protection becomes apparent. With the advancement of technologies, authors and rights holders are finding it increasingly challenging to track information about who, where, and how their works are being used and to promptly receive information about possible infringements of their rights.</p><p>To some extent, digital rights management (DRM) helps solve these problems, preventing users from illegally distributing, copying, transmitting, and converting copyrighted products.</p><p>However, this technology cannot be considered ideal. DRM often creates difficulties for end-users, restricting their rights (for example, not all works may be available in various jurisdictions, DRM software may slow down a user&#39;s computer, or not allow the use of a work even in ways permitted by law). Moreover, the application of DRM requires certain expenses from the rights holder (distributor), and they may not always want to use this technology for each of their works.</p><p>Using blockchain with the technology described above, rights holders can create digital copies of their works and specify permitted methods of use for each copy (for example, one copy can be downloaded and modified, another can only be made available for public access on a website).</p><p>Blockchain allows for quick tracking of which copy of a work was used, when, and by whom, and appropriate legal protection measures can be applied in cases of copyright infringement. Records in a decentralized registry containing information about who holds which rights, who is an authorized licensee, and so on, allow every participant in the supply chain, including consumers and customs authorities, to verify the authenticity of a product and distinguish it from counterfeits or products imported by parallel importers.</p><p>Currently, specialized platforms are also emerging that use smart contracts to buy and sell various objects of copyright, control and pay royalties to authors, bypassing intermediaries in the form of collective management organizations. These organizations, as is known, deduct fairly high percentages from copyright royalties for their services, and they pay royalties based on agreements concluded with each author and rights holder.</p><p>Smart contracts ensure transaction security and transparency. Examples of such platforms include digital image and photo banks like <a href="https://photochain.io/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Photochain</a>, the Chinese Totem service from Baidu&#39;s search engine, <a href="https://creaproject.io/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Creativechain </a>for the registration and peer-to-peer distribution of digital content, the <a href="https://www.ujomusic.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Ujo Music</a> platform for the distribution of music works that directly pays musicians through smart contracts, the <a href="https://oncyber.io/artwallet" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Art Wallet</a> service that allows you to verify the authenticity and origin of art works and serves as a platform for direct sales of art works between users.</p><p>Undoubtedly, the use of blockchain technology in the field of intellectual property, and especially for copyright protection, has great potential. However, for its widespread implementation and use, many questions need to be resolved, including legal ones.:</p><ol><li>Creating an appropriate legal framework, including possibly entering into international agreements to ensure the proper functioning of services in various jurisdictions.</li><li>Defining rules for the use of smart contracts.</li><li>Ensuring the protection of intellectual property, data security, and confidentiality, as well as the role of government authorities and the extent of their involvement in various actions and procedures.</li></ol><h2 id="header-5">Conclusion</h2><p>In conclusion, the integration of blockchain technology into the realm of intellectual property rights protection holds immense promise. As discussed in this article, this innovative approach offers a plethora of advantages, from efficient proof of authorship to streamlined rights management, and enhanced transparency.</p><p>Yet, while the potential is vast, the legal and operational challenges associated with blockchain-based systems cannot be ignored. Questions regarding the legal status of these registries and the accountability of operators in ensuring the accuracy of recorded information need to be carefully addressed.</p><p>This is where pioneering solutions like <a href="https://lawyerd.net/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Lawyerd</a> come into play. <a href="https://lawyerd.net/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Lawyerd</a>, a cutting-edge startup specializing in automated web3 brand protection, exemplifies how technology can be harnessed to bridge the gap between the evolving digital landscape and legal frameworks. By leveraging the power of blockchain and smart contracts, Lawyerd empowers creators and innovators to protect their intellectual property in a decentralized and efficient manner.</p><p>In this dynamic landscape, legal professionals, including lawyers, stand at the forefront of shaping the future of intellectual property rights protection. Their expertise and collaboration with innovative startups like Lawyerd are pivotal in establishing robust regulatory frameworks and safeguarding the rights of creators and innovators in a rapidly evolving digital world.</p><p>In essence, blockchain technology has the potential to revolutionize how we secure and manage intellectual property, offering unprecedented security and accessibility. Through the synergy of technology and legal expertise, we can unlock the full potential of blockchain and ensure that the creative and innovative efforts of individuals and organizations are protected in the digital era.</p>

How to Protect Copyright with Blockchain Technology

Table of Contents

Lawyerd

Other articles published on Sep 22, 2023

CoinShares Launches Hedge Fund Division Targeting U.S Investors

Why Fantom, Filecoin, and Tradecurve Markets Can Dominate the Charts in 2023

Report: Bitcoin’s recent price spikes amid market’s low liquidity is a signal of event-based vola...

Biggest Crypto Gainers Today on DEXTools – BEAR, CAL, MANE

Crypto Platform Bybit to Suspend UK Operations Starting October 8 – What's Going On?

ETH Price Analysis: Analyst Predicts a Bullish October for Ethereum

Join our free newsletter for daily crypto updates!