What would life be like without digital media in the Internet age? Digital media are texts (including software), audios or audio-visuals, encoded in machine-readable formats. While we all create, store, view and transmit digital media via our digital electronics devices from cameras to phones, copyright is a significant driver for content providers.
Blockchain, as a decentralized ledger of immutable transactions, combines Internet openness with cyber security, provides direct access to source and establishes systemic trust. In the copyright context, the new type of Internet technology enables independent and integrated business administration on copyright authorship, ownership and trading. The decentralized electronic networks of databases will disrupt traditional collective copyright administration via third parties in different jurisdictions.
Digital media has allowed individuals like me to be more active and independent in content creation. With AI-assisted web-design, I administer over a dozen personal websites on thematic subject matters. Apart from creating my original blog posts, reviews, screenplays, photos and music videos, I have published them on my websites and in social media networks, and am overwhelmed by the number of views of my photos and straight reviews.
I see blockchain or decentralized ledger technology as a total technical solution to integrative copyright administration at the world or Internet level. Copyright trading transactions can be described via computer-encoded smart contracts evidencing each step of the transaction chain. I strongly believe that any institutional project on blockchain or decentralized ledger technology in the field of international copyright clearance can quickly develop a proof of concept and a success story to tell!