How Can We Make Intellectual Property Rights ‘Smarter’ With The Blockchain? | Forbes

“While the digitization of copyrighted songs themselves is nothing new through platforms such as Grokster, Napster, and iTunes, what is new and very exciting for copyright owners is the vast potential by which blockchain technology may soon be able to create a workable digital footprint that would assist in better enforcement of unauthorized digital uses that continue to proliferate in the wild, wild west of the internet, particularly with respect to social media sites. The blockchain footprint would also be immensely helpful for other artists, filmmakers, producers, and anyone who wants to find information relevant for licensing—the name of the song, the artist who wrote the song, the year it was produced, and who currently owns the rights to the song.”

Without this new and emerging technology, it is nearly impossible for artists and/or their attorneys to easily access this information, even with today’s existing technology. By digitizing IP rights and moving them onto the Blockchain and a distributed ledger, we can effectively secure and protect creators’ rights, while making them publicly accessible, turning them into “smart IP rights”.

Source: How Can We Make Intellectual Property Rights ‘Smarter’ With The Blockchain? | Forbes, Andrew Rossow, July 24, 2018,

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The Supply Side: Blockchain holds potential for retail applications – Talk Business & Politics

Coca-Cola is starting a pilot to use blockchain to identify inhumane labor conditions in its sugar supply chains. Coca-Cola plans to create a secure decentralized registry for workers and their contracts to help securely record their workers’ identities while providing a trail in case employers abuse their power.

Blockverify offers transparency to pharmaceutical, luxury, diamond and electronic supply chains. Blockchain works to verify counterfeit products, diverted goods, stolen merchandise and fraudulent transactions.

VeChain is a blockchain system that embeds customized chips into luxury products and allows manufacturers to trace the product from end to end. Consumers can scan a product with a mobile app to instantly know whether it’s real or fake.

NPD said the next step for retailers is to develop their own cryptocurrency to prevent customers from having to use credit cards when shopping online. NPD said the practice makes sense for the retailer, because if the customer could send the payment transfer via blockchain, it would avoid third-party clearing house fees retailers pay for processing card payments.

Source: The Supply Side: Blockchain holds potential for retail applications – Talk Business & Politics, Kim Souza, July 2, 2018

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What Blockchain Can’t Do

As the ecosystem around blockchain technology develops, new types of intermediaries will emerge that turn the last-mile problem, of keeping digital records in sync with their offline counterparts, into actual business opportunities. While the technology is early stage, as these key complements mature, blockchain has the potential to fundamentally reshape ownership over digital data, and the digital platforms we use every day.

Source: What Blockchain Can’t Do, Catherine Tucker & Christian Catalini, June 28, 2018

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Deloitte Blockchain Boss Departs To Build Ethereum Supply Chain

there are a number of entirely new business models that could be tapped by moving the supply chain to a shared, distributed, immutable ledger.For example, Coble described future supply chain products that flipped the current system on its head by letting parts suppliers publicly broadcast real-time details about unused goods that could be used in any number of products.Coble described her vision for this type of functionality in the future:It provides an environment, a marketplace, for trading partners across the supply chain to be in one place. It allows for this new buy and sell functionality that has never been put together.

Source: Deloitte Blockchain Boss Departs To Build Ethereum Supply Chain,

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Wal-Mart and IBM want to harness blockchain to improve food safety | The New Food Economy

The Walmart-IBM software may facilitate digitization, certificate management, and interoperability. But while these things can improve traceability and transparency, the human element of the food supply chain is far more resistant to control and far less predictable. If the ultimate success of the blockchain relies on self-governance, we may be a long way from it being a food traceability backbone we can truly rely on.

Source: Wal-Mart and IBM want to harness blockchain to improve food safety | The New Food Economy, Jessica McKenzie, February 4th, 2018

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3 Innovative Ways Blockchain Will Build Trust In The Food Industry | Forbes

For example, let’s say dozens of customers fall ill with listeria after eating at a restaurant chain. The restaurant tests the food and discovers raw vegetables are the culprit. Using a blockchain track-and-trace solution, the restaurant will be able to track the serial number associated with the vegetable shipment back to the distributor and then to their original supplier. If they find the vegetables are contaminated, that supplier will immediately be flagged on the blockchain, and anyone who has sourced or bought the vegetables will be made aware of the danger.

Source: 3 Innovative Ways Blockchain Will Build Trust In The Food Industry | Forbes, Samantha Radocchia, April 26, 2018

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Blockchain in action: 5 interesting examples  | The Enterprisers Project

“In deciding whether to use blockchain, it is helpful to think about whether [its] unique characteristics provide business value. For example, if an industry has no system of trusted middlemen – or if existing middlemen are expensive or otherwise add friction – blockchain might be a good fit.”

Source: Blockchain in action: 5 interesting examples  | The Enterprisers Project, Kevin Casey, July 02, 2018

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Simply defining Enterprise Blockchain | LinkedIn

Why does Enterprise Blockchain matter?

Because, today, no business operates in isolation. It should not be a stretch to think that multiple institutions could achieve more together then any single institution can alone. By implementing business processes that leverage the collective knowledge of the group, processes can be orders of magnitude more cost efficient. And even more interesting, new processes can be created that were not possible before which open up new opportunity.

Source: Simply defining Enterprise Blockchain | LinkedIn, Jerry Cuomo, June 30, 2018

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