Blockchain technology has several use cases with more springing up on a daily basis. In China, an Internet Court in the City of Hangzhou recently launched a project for using blockchain technology to combat one of the most common problems on the internet: plagiarism. This project will be beneficial to online content writers who want to protect their products on the internet. The internet court in charge of the case was launched specifically to deal with things related to the internet while reducing the overhead costs and saving the time attached to going through the regular federal justice system.
When the court was launched, it was expected to consider cases and court filings electronically. It also had the power to rule internet cases online through live streaming. Those involved will have to verify their identities with government-issued ID’s or with their Alipay account. The court acts as an incubator for maintaining order on the internet in China. It settles internet disputes and acts as a first mover in transforming internet trials.
In China, there is a large percentage of online writers. It is no wonder the Binjiang District is commonly called writers village. This is because it is home to more than one hundred well-known online writers. Like most writers in other parts of the world, these writers have had issues with piracy many times over the years. As time passes, it is becoming more difficult for them to prove ownership of their work. According to the report, these writers tried to use screenshot and downloaded content to proof ownership but these methods are ineffective as evidence because they can be easily forged.
Blockchain Technology To Combat Plagiarism
Blockchain Technology To Combat Plagiarism
When trying to prove ownership of their work, writers will have to spend a lot of money on notary fees and legal services. This makes it difficult for them to get justice when their copyright is infringed. With this new internet court, tampering evidence will be difficult if not impossible. This is because it will be using blockchain technology which is decentralized and open.
Bitcoin (BTC) Price Today – BTC / USD
| Name | Price | 24H % |
|---|---|---|
 | $0.00 | -0.15% |
A judge at the court, Wang Jiangqiao, believes that blockchain technology is beneficial to writers because it is tamper-proof. This makes it possible for any interested party to track authorship, creation time, and infringement evidence. About a month ago, the Hangzhou Internet Court announced that it now recognizes blockchain technology for storing evidence. The court decided to accept blockchain technology after a case it judged in Hangzhou. A Shenzhen-based tech firm was sued for publishing copyrighted content from the website of the plaintiff.
As evidence, the plaintiff captured the defendants webpage as a source code after which it was uploaded on Bitcoin’s blockchain. The court accepted the data and used it as evidence during the case. After the case was concluded, the court ruled that it would be accepting this form of data as evidence in infringement cases for content creators.
Copyright infringement is just one of the many applications of blockchain technology that the Chinese government has explored in recent times. Blockchain has also been applied in other areas of law enforcement in China. In the future, more use cases will be recognized by the authorities and accepted as the norm.
