Intellectual property management using blockchain

• Main Author: Γιάνναρος, Αναστάσιος
• Other Authors: Giannaros, Anastasios
• Language: English
• Published: 2020
• Subjects: Πνευματική ιδιοκτησία; Διαχείριση πνευματικής ιδιοκτησίας; Έξυπνο συμβόλαιο; Ιδιοκτησία πνευματικής ιδιοκτησίας; Blockchain; Intellectual property; Intellectual property management; Intellectual property ownership; Smart contracts

As technology has infiltrated the cultural sector, access on cultural content is not limited on on-site use cases in cultural organizations like museums and libraries. Instead, it is presented and distributed online via various aggregators like Europeanna and other cultural organizations. This thesis studies the use of blockchain technology in terms of distributing cultural assets and effectively tracking their ownership. Basing a distribution and licensing tracking model on a blockchain technology can enable the beneficiary organization to distribute content and track ownership in an automated and more effective way. The application of this model enables a cultural organization to overcome the boundaries of on-site display, reach out to a broader target group (in remote areas), and even sell rights to some of its content for private, public, or commercial use. Blockchain technology enables a cultural organization to distribute its content for public, private or commercial use leveraging the smart contracts and file management capabilities this technology provides. At the same time, it can track the use of every single asset that is distributed via the system to verify its ownership and whether it is used according to the original agreement. In this thesis, Blockchain technologies will be studied, presented, and compared to one another to provide the optimal choice of Blockchain technology to date. Furthermore, a prototype system that can handle basic operations of intellectual property management using blockchain will be presented. Such operations will be the distribution of cultural assets and the tracking of ownership. Finally, a conclusion will be presented on whether Blockchain technology is mature enough for such an application in real life environments.