The technology industry and the entertainment community often clash where they intersect — especially when disruption is the raison d'être of many a startup. But there is one particular type of disruption that has the potential to greatly benefit the entertainment industry by significantly decreasing transaction and rights management costs, and improving the ability to enforce IP rights. That technology is called blockchain.
General counsel have been hearing a lot about blockchain lately, notably in connection with digital currencies, like Bitcoin. Commentators have been talking about it more and more in connection with so-called “smart contracts,” and they frequently refer to IP rights, at least tangentially, when they talk about applications for smart contracts. So, what is all this stuff? Will it work? And why should general counsel care at all?
Join the Conversation