The idea of using a blockchain (distributed ledger) to fight piracy is not new, but a new paper from Microsoft describes how our friends in Redmond might implement such a system. “Argus: A Fully Transparent Incentive System for Anti-Piracy Campaigns” outlines a trustless incentive mechanism that protects data collected from the open anonymous population of piracy reporters. This paper details how the proposed system would function on the Ethereum blockchain.
In practice, there are better (less expensive, more efficient) blockchain solutions for this type of problem (including using a private blockchain). That said, the paper offers a good explanation of how (and why) blockchain technology can be used to reduce piracy. It’s definitely worth a read.
Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and it expresses my own opinions. I am not, nor is my company, receiving compensation for it.