KodakOne digital rights management and KodakCoin for photographers (image blockchain)

Kodak announced two new technologies for photographers: KodakOne digital rights management to protect images from unlicensed use, and KodakCoin, a SEC-regulated cryptocurrency based on blockchain technology, for professional and amateur photographers to get paid for licensing their images.

https://www.fool.com …out-kodaks-kodakcoin.aspx

I saw this, I think it's pretty neat. Surprised there isn't more talk of it on here?

Of course digital rights management has been around for a LONG time...but not much good has come out of it.

Today I published an article about the future of blockchain for photographers. After reading several articles on how blockchain is going to revolutionize stock photography and eliminate copyright infringement, some authors were confused while others found the technology impracticable for how the industry actually works.

To see what I found out, you can read my article here on Photo Ten Five: https://phototenfive.c​om …eed-to-embrace-blockchain

I'd welcome any discussion or feedback!

jainlemos wrote in post #18636639
Today I published an article about the future of blockchain for photographers. After reading several articles on how blockchain is going to revolutionize stock photography and eliminate copyright infringement, some authors were confused while others found the technology impracticable for how the industry actually works.

To see what I found out, you can read my article here on Photo Ten Five: https://phototenfive.c​om …eed-to-embrace-blockchain

I'd welcome any discussion or feedback!

Thanks. This a truly something that needs to be clarified and scrutinized deeply

(BTW: it is impossible for a normal visitor to copy/paste/right click on your site, or highlight/search with it. I could, so here goes)

You say

I Googled blockchain register for your images, and found only a few currently working image blockchain offerings.

https://binded.com/
http://www.mediachain.​io/
https://www.imageright​s.com/blockchain-inscription (US only?)

It looks like those are only finding/storing copies of fingerprints of your images and pass copyright info, I think.

These handle also payments:

https://photochain.io/
https://selfllery.com/
https://www.creativech​ain.org/project/
https://kodakone.com/

IMHO, it looks like this tech needs to mature still, there are too many unknowns still and too little real content in blockchains to test their speed and stability,

What would be the value of KODAKCoin? How stable would it be? How easy would it to sell it? What are the tax rules? Receipts?

Agree, Pekka. There is still a lot that needs to be developed and understood. The values of the tokens will all depend upon supply and demand just as with any other currency or commodity, and paying taxes on income won't be any different than it is now, as far as I know. This will all need to be sorted out, though, and clarified. Some are developing best practices and other regulations are sure to follow. I'm not sure what you mean about "receipts"?

These are the major players so far:

Photochain
Wemark
IPStock
KodakOne
Copytrack

Yes, I've turned off right click capabilities for my site deliberately. I realize that is not ideal but since there are referral images on my site, I don't want anyone to be able to access them on my side...

jainlemos wrote in post #18636666
I'm not sure what you mean about "receipts"?

I meant that if Bitcoin type payments can be done without a known source (i.e. who actually paid it), how can you know who it was?

I don't think payments can be made anonymously... you would have to have a source/record of the usage, even if that were just a URL where the image appeared. I'm wondering how other digital uses such as in a PDF, PowerPoint presentation or email blast can be tracked. If it's a thumbnail reference image via link (like I use on Photo Ten Five for some stories) those could be tracked and people could be charged for display usage. The same for social media usage links where the featured photo is "pulled" from the original article. Since we aren't hosting the images but merely linking to and rendering the image, case law has ruled that this is not copyright infringement. But if suddenly photographers were paid for every reference image, that would sure change a lot of things! Maybe the act of downloading an image to a local computer could actually be referenced and recorded in the digital file? Would the price be reflected in the number of views and could that be accurately tracked?

Yes, a simple automatic, transparent and worldwide "image used -> payment delivered" system would really be great. I have thousands of great photos I could put into that system some day