Software giant Microsoft is planning to use the Ethereum network in combating digital piracy. The Office productivity suite and Windows operating system from Microsoft are some of the best performers on piracy platforms. Therefore, it is only right that Software leads in the fight against digital piracy.
The company is looking to use the blockchain network’s transparent and decentralised nature to combat piracy concerns. In a new paper released by the company’s research team working with those from eCommerce giant Alibaba and Carnegie Mellon University, the company is looking to develop a blockchain-based incentive system to streamline anti-piracy campaigns.
The paper titled, “Argus: A fully transparent Incentive System for Anti Piracy campaigns,” comes with details on the design, implementation and review of the planned system.
The company intends to rely on the transparent aspect of blockchain technology when dealing with piracy issues. Argus, the piracy management platform, will allow various informers to provide details on the piracy incidents without revealing their identity. The anonymity will allow reporting of incidents without the fear of victimisation or retaliation from the affected parties. Data security generally encourages more people to use the platform.
Also, to encourage the public to use the platform to report piracy concerns, it seeks to make it cheaper to use. It will cost the equivalent of sending 1.4ETH when using the platform. Considering ETH is one of the cheapest transactions in the crypto world, this is quite affordable. The Ethereum platform also has smart contracts that can be used in ensuring compensation for all the digital content.
The system also comes with an incentive system for those using the platform. However, it introduces a “Proof-of-leakage” protocol that will backtrack pirated content to the source using a corresponding watermark. Therefore while reporting anonymously, the platform can still track the reporting account to avoid the same case being reported multiple times. The incentive-reducing safeguards also ensure one cannot use different people or accounts to report the same case.
Blockchain as the solution to piracy
Even though piracy has been a concern for ages, various solutions have never dealt with it. Blockchain however seems to be the best-placed technology that might tackle it.
Piracy is fuelled by various factors such as unaffordability, cultural norms, lack of access and viewing media content as lacking in inherent value. Blockchain technology, however, provides a solution for piracy due to the public ledger. All transactions in the blockchain are recorded and can be accessed by anyone. This means nobody would hide when pirating content and get away with it on any blockchain platform.
Given the blockchain’s utility on piracy, various institutions are already looking into it. Microsoft’s entry into its use is joining the earlier services that had been applying it on various platforms.
Some of the services using blockchain technology for piracy include the blockchain-based streaming service Vevue that has a technology to track media content in case it is copied by anyone else. Tech Mahindra, an IT subsidiary of the Mahindra Group, launched a digital contract and rights platform based on blockchain technology for the media and entertainment industry.
