Utilizing blockchain technology to fight piracy In the entertainment industry

Introduction

For the past few years, Blockchain has gained and has continued to gain popularity due to it's impact on various sectors of the world. It has made many businesses more efficient, less stressful, secured, and transparent. Sectors such as healthcare, entertainment, education, real estate and agriculture have all experience the positive effect of blockchain. However, this post will focus on the use case of blockchain in fighting piracy in the media and entertainment industry.

Blockchain technology is a decentralized technology that enables transparency and security in recording-keeping of transactions across network of computers. Unlike traditional systems that rely solely on a central authority, In blockchain there is no central authority, validation is spread across different network of computers where users can interact with one another without the need for an intermediary and in a transparent manner.

The key features of blockchain are; Decentralization, transparency and security. of which has transformed many sectors of the economy, the media and entertainment industry included.

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The Entertainment/media Industry is a lively aspect of the economy sector that has impacted culture, communication and leisure. key makeup of the media and entertainment industry include, broadcasting and television, music, gaming, live events, social media platforms etc.

As of 2022 and 2023, the media and entertainment industry witnessed significant changes in the use of technology and its marketing. For example, there has been a notable transformation in musical instruments; instead of traditional drums, modern technological equipment is now prevalent. Similarly, the classic black and white TV has been replaced by modern plasma TVs. Content creators now have standardized tools to enhance content creation, making the process more efficient.

However, despite these massive growth and development, the media and entertainment industry still struggles with several challenges that act as barriers to its overall progress. One of these major challenges

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  is Piracy

Piracy is an illegal act that involves the theft of someone's intellectual property for monetary gains. In the context of media and entertainment, it involves the use, reproduction, or distribution of copyrighted materials such as movies, music, software, books, and other creative works without the permission of the copyright owner.

Piracy has become a major challenge in the media and entertainment industry as more people tend to steal from copyright owners and sell at an outrageously discounted price, thereby creating a significant loss for copyright owners and content creators. When creators suffer a significant loss, it can result in a drop or reduction in the quality of content, creating a situation where 'what you see is what you get'

Additionally, Piracy is a threat to data integrity. Many platforms that offer copyrighted content without proper permission are often hosts for viruses or malware. When users access these platforms, they risk being attacked by viruses that can compromise data integrity. Other channels may use phishing methods to trick users into providing sensitive information such as passwords, usernames, or even financial details, for malicious activities.

However, blockchain technology has the potential to intervene and mitigate the imminent threat of piracy through the use of Digital Rights Management.

Digital Rights Management (DRM) comprises methods and tools used to protect the rights of digital content owners. The primary goal of DRM is to control users' access to digital content. Through the use of access control methods, DRM restricts users' access to digital content by employing encryption and authentication. Here's how it works:

In DRM, contents are usually encrypted, and when a content is encrypted, access is restricted to those without the encryption key. Additionally, those with the decryption key have limited access, as they cannot copy, paste, print, or take screenshots of contents under DRM. Even if there is a way for contents in DRM to leak, there is always a digital watermark that identifies the copyright owner.

Conclusion

In summary, Blockchain has proven to be a great tool that can enhance security in businesses. Despite the continuous growth and development the media and entertainment industry has experienced over the years, it still struggles with a major challenge Piracy. However, blockchain, through the use of Digital Rights Management, can help combat this major challenge in the media and entertainment industry. In the future, blockchain will likely continue to improve, transforming different sectors of the economy.

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