Blockai now allows online content creators to claim cryptographic proof of their works to be recorded on the Bitcoin blockchain so that it gives basic copyright protection which can help owners remove copyright violations.
Registering a copyright with Blockai will remain free forever.
CEO Nathan Lands says to TechCrunch:
“The blockchain is the perfect solution for providing proof of creation. It’s a permanent immutable record. Meaning, once the record is there, it’s there forever and will never change.”
Copyright protection as profitable business
According to Blockai, copyright protection generates over $1.126 trillion in revenue per year in the US alone despite its cost of registration with the government, the slow and time-consuming registration process and the fact that it mainly benefits major corporations.
Copyright registration is one of the most important parts of the world economy which protects all creative works such as art, photos, songs, videos, literature, architecture and computer software.
Earlier this year Blockai raised $547,000 in seed funding to relaunch as a Blockchain copyright service in March. This was after changing from its initial plan to be a ‘Netscape for Bitcoin’ in 2015 which will turn the Blockchain into a kind of social media stream that would allow users to send messages and authenticate items.
Bright future for artists?
Though the internet presently makes it easier than ever for artists to create and share their works online, they benefit huge companies because of the Internet’s inability to protect their copyright, as well as the cost of registering with the US Copyright Office.
In a future where creative work is more fulfilling, Blockai aims to help artists earn a good living by creating and publishing to the web particularly from websites that share their profit of revenues from creative works.
A permanent timestamp on the Bitcoin blockchain from Blockai helps protect every creator with a proof of publishing which arms when sending cease and desist letters or DMCA notices to enforce websites to remove copyrighted works or otherwise be legally liable.
Lands concludes:
“The ideal future system is one where there is a universal database for claiming ownership of creations and for paying royalties and making it as simple as possible for people to do the right thing.”