The Blockchain Revisited

As new commercial markets open up worldwide, new opportunities appear for illegal use of content, and the risk to creators' work and paycheck increases.
3 mins read

Concerns about counterfeiting, theft, and plagiarism unite creators and artists across the globe. They will undoubtedly be asking themselves, "Why is it important to copyright your work?" and "How do you copyright your work?".

 

What is Distributed Ledger Technology, also known as ‘Blockchain’?

Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) is a term for an electronic database that maintains a continuously-growing list of data records. These records are secured from tampering, revision, or unauthorized deletion by storing the data on multiple nodes on a network without requiring a central authority to coordinate operations.

Similarly, a blockchain is an electronic ledger that is duplicated across a network of computers and is updated simultaneously, making it challenging to cheat.

Satoshi Nakamoto first conceptualized the blockchain in 2008 and introduced it as a core component of the digital currency Bitcoin.

Blockchain provides a new paradigm for data storage security based on the principle of decentralization.

Data storage security is an issue that many different solutions have addressed; among those, blockchain is one of the most popular.

The benefits of a decentralized data storage system are clear: it is not centralized, so there is no single point of failure. It also creates a level playing field between organizations with access to better hardware and those who don't. In addition, decentralization offers more stability and greater transparency in the long run.

Both startups and established companies have invested heavily in Blockchain startups and projects in recent years.

Transparency

Transparency is a crucial element of blockchain as the technology was built to provide a durable, transparent, and tamper-proof service.

Blockchain technology is used by many companies and institutions worldwide as it offers an affordable, transparent and secure way for transactions of goods and services without the need for a middleman.

Redundancy

Blockchain redundancy is not a new idea, it has been around since the 1990s and was originally developed to ensure data integrity without a central authority. In essence, it creates copies of one's data to ensure that even if there were an error or attack on one node, the others would be able to take up the slack and keep things running smoothly.

Blockchain is designed so that each block stores information about previous transactions and the current state of the network. This means that if one node goes offline or starts acting maliciously, it will not affect any other nodes in the network.

Immutability

Because of the way that data is stored on a blockchain, it becomes immutable, meaning it can't be changed. Each block is like a record that contains the hash of the block before it. To change the content in a block, you would need to change all the blocks after it, which is impossible with current technology.

Blockchain can revolutionize the way we transact with one another in many aspects of our lives, including through money, data, and even ideas. It also seems like writers could use it for specific tasks like copywriting, where you need to make sure that what is written cannot be tampered with.

Disintermediation

Disintermediation is an economic term meaning to take intermediaries out of the transaction. Because blockchain is a decentralized system, data can be stored and transmitted without going through a centralized party, resulting in no need for trusted third parties such as banks or governments to validate transactions.

Public blockchains

Public blockchains are online, decentralized ledgers that record transactions in sequential order. In other words, it is a shared database that is copied across many different computers. Each computer has a copy of the blockchain, and so does anyone else who wishes to have one.

A public blockchain has three main components: peer-to-peer network, consensus algorithm, and shared ledger. Peer-to-peer networks consist of thousands of nodes (computers) that maintain a copy of the blockchain and sync updates with each other. The consensus algorithm allows the system to work without one person being in charge or having control; it will enable competing nodes to agree about data integrity and prevent data from being tampered with once it's written to the ledger.

Private blockchains

Private blockchains are distributed ledgers that are not accessible by anyone other than the parties that created them.

Private blockchains, just like public blockchains, are ledgers that store data on transactions. However, they can only be accessed by authorized members of the network who have the key to its encryption. The blockchain's consensus process is not open to the public, and records cannot be removed once they've been added to it.

Core issues of copyright law in the digital environment

The internet has changed how infringement happens and how people collaborate, making copyright law outdated because it was created before the advent of the internet and cannot deal with the level of modern-day copyright infringement. 

Lack of transparency about the legal status of copyrighted works

The digital environment is changing rapidly. To keep up with the changes, we need to update our understanding of copyright law and its role in the digital environment.

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act was passed in 1998, and it has been updated several times since then. But these updates have still not been able to keep up with the rapid changes that have taken place in the digital environment over the same period. New laws are needed to deal with these changes and set clear rules for future collaborations between creators and industries - economic, social, and political - interconnected by digitization.

In the United States and many other countries, copyright exists automatically for the original work of authorship once it is fixed in a tangible medium. However, if an infringement suit were to be considered, retrospective registration with the United States Copyright Office would have to be filed. In reality, we also see a lot of disputes settled through intermediaries such as YouTube.  

Price

The core issue of copyright law in a digital environment is the pricing and cost of content. The high price of content is a significant setback to consumers, and it also prevents artists from getting their work published. This can be solved by making copyrighted material available at a cheaper rate. It is not only the consumers that suffer from high-priced content but also the artists. Most artists depend on their work for their income, so they get discouraged when they don't get it published because they can't afford to pay for expensive copyright protection.

Piracy

Piracy is the act of reproducing or redistributing copyrighted content without authorization. Piracy has many new forms, with people using the internet to download illegally copied content. It's not hard to find free downloadable copies of movies, music, or video games on various websites worldwide.

Difficult for authors to get compensated fairly

The internet has given us the ability to publish our work for free, leading to fewer authors being compensated fairly. Copyright is one way of protecting intellectual property rights, and combining it with blockchain technology may solve the problem.

Many companies are using blockchain technology in hopes of providing a solution for the increasing issue of lost revenue from authors not being compensated fairly for their work. Traditional copyright systems have been unable to do this because it is difficult and costly to check every single instance where someone's intellectual property is used without their permission. This is why some companies are hopeful that blockchain will offer a more reliable and cost-effective way of protecting intellectual property rights over time.

How can blockchain help with copyright?

The technology of blockchain can help us to solve the issue of copyright. It provides a way for authors to get compensated fairly without going through a centralized institution.

As mentioned before, copyright automatically exists once work is fixed in a tangible medium. In reality, this is often hard to prove. From mailing work to yourself with a timestamp to uploading pictures on social media, they are all attempts to create a proof. The problem is that none of these methods are foolproof or immutable.

Blockchain can help with copyright by providing an immutable ledger where copyrights are registered and monitored while also tracking the distribution of content across different channels.

Transparent information about copyright ownership

Blockchain provides a piece of transparent information about copyright ownership, making it hard for piracy to occur. The data stored in a blockchain is immutable and not erasable, so there are no chances of being tampered with by any unauthorized person. So if you have works of art on blockchain, it will be difficult for anyone to steal them without your permission.

Control over digital copies

Blockchain helps us to manage intellectual property in a way that is decentralized and immutable. It helps to limit unauthorized access and monitor workflows and transactions. It can help with copyright protection by securing digital copies of original works and tracking the usage of any given copy.

Blockchain can provide control over digital copies by giving the owner the ability to transfer ownership without granting permission to others, revoke access permissions, or change settings on who is allowed to download or make changes.

Price

It can also help with price and cost. Blockchain can help with ensuring fair pricing for creators and prevent overcharging from the middleman. It also helps in reducing costs for copyrighting through automation, which can be done at a lower cost for the creator.

Simplified licensing

This technology could help with copyright by simplifying licensing and reducing paperwork needed to prove ownership of intellectual property. Instead of using a license that states that you have "unlimited use" of a work or "exclusivity for ten years," your blockchain-based license would show the precise date you were given permission to use the content as well as what rights you have been granted

Lifehash copyright solution using Blockchain technology

The most critical and problematic aspect of any copyright process is proving ownership. LifeHash uses blockchain to verify your digital ownership, simplifying the copyright process at the most crucial element.  

Install LifeHash via our mobile app, plug-in, or web browser and begin securing your digital creations and interactions to a blockchain. LifeHash can also enable you to retrospectively secure designs to protect your library of work. 

 

Please get in touch with us for further information. 

FAQs

What is DRM ( Digital Rights Management)?

Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a set of technologies intended to restrict the use, copying, and distribution of digital media and devices with the intent to prevent copyright infringement.

DRM is used by many industries, but it's most commonly associated with music and video games. It's sometimes called "digital locks" or "digital handcuffs."

What is the technology that protects intellectual property rights?

The technology that protects intellectual property rights is copyright law. It is a system that regulates the distribution and use of creative and artistic works by conferring certain exclusive rights to the creators.

What is blockchain anonymity?

The anonymity of blockchain is a feature that allows digital information to be shared with other people without being traced back to its original source. This allows the participants in a blockchain network to transact without having to reveal any personal or identifying information about themselves.

What protection is given to authors?

Authors have the right to be credited for anything they write. In order to maintain these rights, it is important that authors get a royalty every time their work is reproduced or resold.

The law protects any person who creates a literary or artistic work from being deprived of attribution and control over his/her work.

How does blockchain protect intellectual property?

Blockchain technology provides an immutable record of intellectual property rights. It can also help tackle online piracy. Blockchain ensures that any unauthorized copies are easy to identify because they will not be part of the original chain.

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