The Mission

Today, I have my first user experience in applying blockchain technology to better protect my original copyright works. I have registered the 2017 edition of my music video entitled "Happy Birthday x 3", and a 1992 photo entitled "First Appearance" on a blockchain-based depositary free of charge. Not only that the unbroken chain evidences the timestamping of the works, the discretionary marketing via social media might attract potential "Buyers" or licencees, who respect creativity and copyright.

When I became Hong Kong, China's Director of Intellectual Property in 2011, I made a difference by taking the risk in championing many-to-many trading of intellectual property (IP) via Hong Kong. Although the disruptive concept to trade all IP matters might be too high (eg industrial properties like inventive patents generally have to be aggregated to form a marketable portfolio), my goal was to create public value by raising public awareness of possible new business models in the IP context.

While not everyone has the capacity to invent, to design or to run a goods or service business, nearly everyone is a creator and owner of copyright works in some forms eg the images or videos s/he captures are protected worldwide automatically. Some of these copyright works might have a market and could be monetized if properly managed. The initial step is to prove authorship and ownership of the copyright works and blockchained decentralized ledgers could be the user-friendly technical solution for the mass creators and owners.

What I plan to share in the Business of IP Asia Forum in early December 2017 would be the lessons I have learned on creativity management and digital marketing. I would also call upon those who have the capacity to design and build a blockchained-based platform to apply Hong Kong standards and laws. The mission of it is to function as a Worldwide Depositary of Copyright Works, the Collection and Distribution of Public Performance Copyright Royalties Centre and the Copyright Exchange!

#TheMission