Decentralized Global Copyright System Based on Consortium Blockchain With Proof of Authority

Conventional copyright systems are governed nationally, and there is no global ledger for storing copyright data. Due to the lack of a global copyright monitoring system, it is difficult to provide cross-border copyright protection. In this paper, we propose a novel decentralized copyright system based on a consortium blockchain, which ensures cross-border copyright protection of individuals’ digital content and solves existing challenges in international copyright management. The proposed system enables a synchronized platform to register and trade copyright globally without using a global cloud. Individual countries receive membership from a copyright federation and participate in block creation by executing the energy-efficient proof of authority consensus algorithm. These countries are regarded as the authorities of the platform. They validate transactions conducted by users and store them in the blockchain. Anyone, either registered or unregistered, can investigate a copyrighted work, but only registered users can make transactions. A token-based payment method is also proposed for paying copyright charges (i.e., transaction fees) to authorities through the federation. A prototype of the system was implemented, and its performance was evaluated. This paper provides direction and guidance towards international copyright management.