Reesearch In The Applications Of Blockchain Technology To Copyright Protection

This thesis provides an analysis of important concepts surrounding blockchain technology,especially in the field of copyright and intellectual property(IP)protection.The twenty-first century has witnessed the rapid rise of the Internet and advancements in digital technologies.As such,the “Digital Age” has quickly evolved,where the amount of content uploaded and shared on the Web has increased exponentially.Whether it is listening to music,reading the news,playing mobile games,following trends on social media,etc.,the Internet has become almost inseparable from people’s everyday lives.Moreover,digitalization has greatly reduced the costs of publishing and sharing creative works,since access to information is now quicker and more convenient than before.Almost anything can be searched,queried,and shared within minutes,if not seconds.However,the Internet age has brought several issues and challenges,namely illegal downloads and online copyright infringement.In recent years,observers have noted that blockchain,the technology behind cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum,may be a feasible solution to mitigate these challenges.Certain characteristics of blockchain technology—decentralization,distributed ledgers,continuous record keeping,immutability,transparency,fostering trust,etc.have the potential to better protect copyright on the Web.Artists can submit works on blockchains and generate a record of ownership.Afterward,they would be able to program ’smart contracts’ to automatically and effectively control the licensing,sharing,and distribution of their creation(s).This creates a comprehensive organization of copyright,which allows a work’s entire ownership history to be accurately searched and located if necessary.From a theoretical standpoint,a rights management and protection platform operating with such a mechanism would be able to dramatically reduce online copyright infringement.However,numerous challenges for practical implementation remain.This thesis examines the details of using blockchains and ‘smart contracts’ to protect copyright of digital content on the Web.Simultaneously,it proposes a business model that would allow it to operate in emerging economies such as China,where copyright and intellectual property(IP)protection are still a developing field.