Protecting intellectual property with blockchain - Interview

A new blockchain based technology allows creators to protect their intellectual property and prove that it's theirs. According to co-founder Eric Klein, the platform even aims to replace lawyers in the future.

The new project, established by the company NKOR, is in the midst of the development process and it is currently raising funds — to date some $1 million has been raised.
To discover more about this new application of blockchain technology, Digital Journal spoke with Eric Klein, Co-Founder, and CEO of NKOR. Klein's experience with the media industry has meant he has needed to deal with copyright infringement on a near daily basis, including illegal downloading of original content.

Digital Journal: How important is blockchain technology becoming in the world of business?

Eric Klein: Blockchain allows registration of information in a secure, transparent, and efficient method of data transactions between participants, without the need for intermediaries. This technology is built in a way that all data transfers that are registered in its environment, is recorded and irreversible by private entities, hackers or even governments - make it resistant for changes and reliable as evidence.

DJ: Why are you developing blockchain solutions for intellectual property?

Eric Klein:We took the blockchain based solution into implementation. Our groundbreaking technology for processing data, using a multi-layer index hashing algorithm, will be implemented on blockchain for the first time.
We use the natural features of Blockchain technology in our favor, meaning that every data's transformation is secured completely and unchangeable, which enable the creators to easily prove that their creation is actually their own only. After all, a creation is not yours if you can’t prove it.
First, the system authenticates data that is uploaded to the platform, which is then linked to a transaction on a blockchain via smart contracts. It timestamps it to provide an immutable record and keeps track on sharing the same data by other entities to prevent plagiarism.
If this is not enough, since we expect many creators to be interested in protecting themselves, the project's, By-product, is a marketplace that will allow all artists to trade their works and bypass the mediator.

DJ: Are thefts of intellectual property a growing concern?

Eric Klein:Throughout eleven years of experience in the media industry, I dealt with copyright infringement on a daily basis, such as illegal downloading of original content.
Recently we are witnessing a flourishing industry of copyright infringement - China has the Highest online piracy rate of 91 percent, cost U.S. firms $48 billion in 2009; followed by Columbia with 90 percent and Russia with 80 percent online piracy rate.

DJ: Do you think your technology will allow interested parties to side-step lawyers?

Eric Klein:I believe that within five years the need for intermediaries and lawyers will decline drastically, and creators will have a lower cost for registering their copyright in NKOR than in standard use through a lawyer or DRM software. they will spare themselves the legal tangle. It follows that legal claims in that field may be avoided in the first place. Mediators, including attorneys for intellectual property registration, will be required in a reduced manner.

DJ: How is your fundraising campaign going?
Fortunately, our venture aroused curiosity among investors right from the start; Even before the white paper was written to the end, a sum of more than $1 million has already been raised from various businessmen. We intend to raise another $40 million in an ICO fundraising.
The revenues will be used to finance the further development of the NKOR ecosystem and its ongoing operations, as well as to attract additional strategic partners to the NKOR’s team to further its expansion.
Part of the revenues will be held in a vesting schedule for the founding team that will ensure an incentive for them to perform well and remain with the company.

DJ: Have you attracted any big backers?

Eric Klein:Recently, Andrey Yashunsky, Partner at Da Vinci Capital, invested in NKOR's venture and has joined the advisory board. Da Vinci Capital is a private equity firm specializing in growth capital, buyouts, and middle market investments.
Along with Yashunsky, David Mickler, co-founder of Quintessentially Ventures, joined us on board. Quintessentially Ventures is a community consists of sophisticated Angels in 60 offices worldwide, which invested in 40 projects in a total sum of $70 million.
Last but not least is Yohai Rayfeld, the chairman of the successful mobile-payment parking solution, Pango, serving over 1.7 million cars with more than 4 million monthly transactions.

DJ: What is your marketing campaign strategy?

Eric Klein:The field of copyright has a wide angle and so does our marketing strategy. We seek to address several key interrelated sectors due to the lack of a solution to the copyright problem, beyond the built-in appeal to the business community for financing. We turn to the legal, cultural, art and crypto industry and to anyone who was at the beginning of developing the Blockchain technology.
We do not endorse Digital Hard Sell. The campaigns that run on Facebook cause disgust and we try to avoid it. We work with investors behind the scenes, strive to reach out to the Blockchain community through conferences. We believe in openness with the public, especially since the platform will return to the public after 4 years and eventually, will be having no profit from any transaction.

DJ: Do you have any competitors in this area?

Eric Klein:The main competitor for NKOR's platform is DRM (Digital Rights Management) solutions. Securing content with Digital Rights Management comes with heavy financial expenditures, while NKOR charges a symbolic fee of a few pennies for every data's transaction. For that matter, an annual license of one of the leading DRM Software in the market can be purchased at a minimum of $2500. At the moment, Middle-class simply don't have the money to prove their copyright and NKOR can help them with a cheaper, simpler, and more efficient solution.
While its main aim is to prevent piracy, almost all DRM systems can be cracked. For instance, the famous action role-playing game, Shadows of War, was protected against piracy in the anti-tamper protection software, Denuvo. Only one day after the game was released, it was cracked by hackers.

DJ: How are you ensuring that your company stands out?

If so, how are ensuring that you’ll stand out?NKOR is based on Blockchain technology that is built in a way that all data transfers that are registered in its environment is recorded and irreversible by private entities, hackers or even governments - make it resistant for changes and reliable as evidence.
DRM techniques that include online registration help companies track purchases made by a user, intruding on their privacy. In contrast, NKOR uses the natural features of Blockchain - allows registration of information in a secure, transparent, and efficient method of transactions between participants, without the need for intermediaries.