Logo
Bankless

Level 1

IP remains stuck in an outdated legal system that makes it difficult to license, monetize, & trade effectively

That's where StoryProtocol comes in -- a new blockchain that aims to transform IP into liquid, programmable, & ownable digital assets

A 101 Explainer๐Ÿ‘‡

What is Story Network?

Story Network was created specifically for bringing IP onchain, making it easier to manage and monetize.

On Story Network, IP is represented as onchain assets called IP Assets, which are NFTs. These NFTs carry detailed metadata about the underlying IP and serve as its digital representations. They can be linked to existing NFTs, e.g. a CryptoPunk, or be issued to represent offchain items.

Each IP Asset is linked to an IP Account, a specialized smart contract that manages interactions and data related to the IP.

Also at the heart of Story Network is its Proof-of-Creativity (PoC) Protocol, which facilitates the creation and management of IP Assets, enabling use cases like permissionless licensing and automated royalty payments.

Another key pillar here is the Programmable IP License (PIL), a legal framework that bridges the onchain world with traditional legal systems, ensuring that the digital representation of IP on Story Network is enforceable in the real world.

How is Story Network designed?

Story Network is a Layer 1 (L1) blockchain optimized for handling complex IP data structures efficiently that leans on elements from both the ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) and the cosmos
SDK.

Notably, Story Network is EVM-equivalent, meaning it supports the same code execution environment as Ethereum. This compatibility allows developers to port existing applications and smart contracts written in Ethereum's popular Solidity programming language to Story Network with minimal or no changes.

Why tokenize IP on Story Network?

Tokenizing IP on Story Network offers several notable benefits:

๐ŸŒŠ Liquidity โ€” IP can be traded or used as collateral, creating new financial opportunities.

๐Ÿงฑ Programmability โ€” Automated actions like royalty payments can be embedded within IP NFTs, simplifying management.

๐Ÿ” Transparency โ€” The underlying blockchain provides a clear and immutable record of IP ownership and transactions.

These are compelling pillars for content creators, but what will the actual use cases look like?

For instance, artists, musicians, writers, and beyond can register their IP as NFTs on Story Network, set licensing terms, and automate royalty payments. This makes it easier to control and monetize their work.

For developers, they can build applications that leverage tokenized IP. Think things like AI model marketplaces, content remixing platforms, and DeFi apps that use IP NFTs as collateral.

Two of the earliest app examples in the Story ecosystem are Magma and Mahojin. The former is a collaborative design tool that uses Story Network to manage and monetize creative works via NFTs, while the latter is a platform for AI training data and models.

Zooming out

How might making IP programmable and liquid influence the interaction between creators and consumers? Will tokenizing and trading IP democratize access to creative works? And how effectively can the PIL system adapt to diverse global legal landscapes, especially as AI-generated content becomes more prevalent?

The answers to these questions remain to be seen, but Story Network is diving in here in unprecedented fashion and looking to revolutionize the future of digital IP through the cryptoeconomy. As the chain evolves and gains traction, its bull case is its potential to redefine IP management to be better in line with the content challenges of the 21st century.

Can Story win out, then? We'll see, but this innovative reach into a new terrain is exciting nonetheless!

By WPeaster
5 months ago

No replies yet!

It seems that this publication does not yet have any comments. In order to respond to this publication from Bankless , click on at the bottom under it