Earlier on NewsBTC we discussed about various uses of Blockchain technology. One of the applications we discussed about is regarding its use in managing and defending intellectual property. Presenting Ascribe, a company working along the same lines. Ascribe offers its intellectual property management services to the artists, collectors and galleries.

Gone were the days when artists used to paint on canvas and waited days for the paint to dry so that they can paint a fresh coat. Most of the arts now used on computers or other digital devices. Unlike conventional physical paintings and artefacts, digital art can be copied with a click of the mouse and modified. With Ascribe, users can register, claim ownership and exert control over the digital files.

Ascribe Ownership Registry uses the same technology as that of Bitcoin Blockchain to manage digital rights. It is a simple, easy to use platform where creators of digital intellectual property can upload their work onto the Ownership Registry. The creator can upload a copy of his digital creation in any of the widely used file formats. Once the file is uploaded, Ascribe assigns a unique identifier to the artwork and the title for the work will be credited to its creator. The title will be uploaded to the Blockchain and time-stamped. Once uploaded, each title will be assigned a crypto-ID (similar to the hash key).

Once the artwork is time-stamped and crypto-id is generated, it can be used to manage or contest any copyright claims against the art. This is similar to posting a copy of your own work in an envelope. When you put a copy of your art or literary work into a postal envelope and mail it yourself, the post stamp on the envelope will serve as the time-stamp. Upon receipt the envelope has to be kept without opening it so that it can be used to establish the timeline of creation.

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Once anything is included into the Blockchain ledger, it will stay on it forever and Ascribe utilizes the same property to protect and verify the intellectual property of files on its platform. Ascribe also makes the whole process of copyright transfer and licensing as easy as sending an email. The claim of ownership/copyright will be made available on a publicly accessible database and anyone with a unique link can access it to verify the art before making a purchase.

Ascribe comes out as a powerful tool, especially in these times where museums and art galleries are increasingly displaying and selling digital art.

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