Rights Chain Initiative: Opening Note

Originally, this post was supposed to talk about methods that can be used to be able to prove one's authorship of an original Opera, whatever it may be. Illustrations, drawings, manuals, videos... anything that could be the result of creativity. Instead, I decided to write something more personal, about why Rights Chain was born as an Initiative.

Let me first say that I'm not an artist, I have been busy for quite a while (maybe too long) with technology and computer science in the strict sense of the term, so as to become almost monothematic. But I have always had an exaggerated passion for comics and especially for manga and anime worlds from which I have never strayed far, and to which I have been quite close in recent years. Even here, maybe too much! On the path that I followed, I have passed a bit through all sectors, directly, such as with the music industry, or indirectly, like designers and other realities - or rather professionals - who live in works of ingenuity or creativity.

As a collector, for someone probably "trivial", of comics and other amenities of Oriental culture, I find satisfaction in thinking of contributing to someone's job by acquiring their work, in the knowledge (sometimes denied) that my small contribution is helping the artist and all those who collaborate to create new works that are inspirational and emotional to me as much as to other people. Maybe a somewhat overly "romantic" view of the thing, but allow me this reflection.

On par with theft of information, appropriation of works is a theme that has always touched me deeply, both for personal and professional reasons. It's something that truly bothers me, and things such as piracy, counterfeiting, or use of the work of others for one's own gain have always annoyed me. When during a dinner I happened to hear about this topic from a person directly affected by the subject, within me I had a feeling of confirmation: what we are doing is right and good.

Now back to the point. What is Rights Chain? It’s an initiative that strives to give artists a simple and effective tool to allow them to prove at any point in time that they have created a Work. Using the experience of the people who have founded this initiative, we are implementing a project that can answer the question: "is there anyone who can give me a hand in proving that I created that work and not some guy who maybe even profits from it? ".

The answer is yes.

Because the tools to do it exist, but are complex and often difficult to access. Rights Chain puts them all together and simplifies them without making them trivial. Am I afraid to talk to someone to prove that the method works? No, and if my experience can be of help in a situation like that of intellectual property, then so be it.

Today, Rights Chain is in the experimental phase, being tested by about thirty people in 6 countries, helping us solve functional problems. They are all artists or professionals who live off their own inventions and pay bills. The Platform has been completed and tested, incorporating technologies that enjoy great "echo" in the technology industry, such as BlockChain, which is perhaps the most important element of the entire Technology Platform. Technologies that are of interest to large companies and institutions, but it's not our concern.

We are interested in individuals and their creative ability.

Because they are the heart of the Initiative, and for this reason today we are working on two great activities. The first one is to complete the Technological Platform in all its features. The second is to be able to conclude the preparations to establish it as a non-profit organization.

Thanks to the feedback we had during the past fairs we attended, where we had the chance to talk about it (Comicon of Naples, Novegro's Comic Festival), we were stimulated to move forward and continue investing time in the creation of this project. And as long as we find support, we will continue in its realization.

The road is certainly a long and not easy one, but the mission that we have in mind is as clear as our determination. We hope that the Initiative is appreciated; someone will not like it, but you know, we will figure it out. In one of the first drafts of the project, the opening phrase was "If you want to make yourself some enemies, try changing something."

We intend to change something.

I conclude (finally). Thanks to the support and reactions we have had in describing our project, we have found strength and motivation to move forward. And so we will continue on this path.

We will try to be present at upcoming fairs and events in Italy for those who would like to get to know us or talk about our initiative. We will publish on our Facebook page all dates and locations where you could find us: if you have any doubts, curiosities, suggestions or questions we will be grateful to hear you out and know your opinion, whether it is positive or negative.

Thanks again for the interest and support of all those who have shown it so far!

About the Author

Sebastian Zdrojewski

Sebastian Zdrojewski

Founder, (He/Him)

Worked for 25 years in the IT industry facing cyber security, privacy and data protection problems for businesses. In 2017 founds Rights Chain, a project aiming to provide resources and tools for copyright and intellectual property protection for Content Creators, Artists and Businesses.