copyright protection

WordPress Plugin to Boost Copyright Protection by Timestamping Content on the EOSIO Blockchain

Upon setting up a plugin dubbed WordProof Timestamp, WordPress users will be able to store and encode their content on the EOSIO blockchain. As a result, the open-source blockchain platform will guarantee any WordPress website copyright protection and transparency.

Blockchain certificate pop-up

Timestamping is a sequence of encoded information or characters, which shows when a given event happened. Once the content is timestamped, a universal and unique fingerprint or hash for all media files, pages, and posts will be generated. In a case scenario where the content changes, the hash is also altered. The hash gets added to the blockchain platform with a date and time because this will help the website owner show proof of ownership over the content.

According to the announcement:

“With WordProof Timestamp, you can timestamp your WordPress content on any EOSIO blockchain from the comfort of your WordPress site. No prior blockchain experience necessary. After the set-up, everything is taken care of automatically.”

Blockchain-based SEO benefits

This new development is touted as a game-changer in unveiling the next-generation search engine optimization (SEO) benefits, which will be pegged on blockchain technology.

The WordProof Timestamp will enhance content transparency by increasing claim authenticity and trust. Some of the notable features will include copyright infringement claim tools, downloadable blockchain certificate as proof of existence, and a blockchain certificate pop-up on the website.

According to statistics by web technology survey firm W3Techs, WordPress is utilized by 63.5% of websites that use the content management system (CMS), representing 38.7% of all websites.

Recently, the World Economic Forum (WEF) stated that it views blockchain technology as a turning point in addressing illicit internet content of abusive imagery associated with social ills such as sexual exploitation and violence.

Specifically, blockchain is being deployed together with another technology called PhotoDNA developed by Dartmouth College to help cloud storage platforms and social media networks delete all abusive and illegal images from their databases.

Universal Music Group Calls for AI Music Copyright Protection

The rise of AI-generated music has sparked concerns over copyright infringement, with Universal Music Group (UMG) calling on streaming services to block AI services from harvesting melodies and lyrics from copyrighted songs. According to a report from the Financial Times on April 13, UMG has been sending requests to take down AI-generated songs “left and right,” as they have been popping up on streaming services with increased frequency.

AI bots have had access to music catalogs on streaming platforms, which developers have used to train the technology. However, UMG has become “increasingly concerned” about AI bots using intellectual property to produce music identical to actual artists. A source close to the situation said that this next generation of technology currently emerging poses “significant issues.”

Until now, developers have used music catalogs on streaming platforms to train AI models. However, this practice could be problematic because AI-generated music could potentially infringe on the intellectual property rights of the original artists. For instance, AI could compose a song that resembles Taylor Swift’s lyrics, but with vocals and themes of other popular artists like Bruno Mars and Harry Styles. The output would be due to the fact that the AI has been trained on those artists’ intellectual property.

One Twitter user posted an example of an AI-generated song that features an AI-version of the famous rapper Jay-Z, which is almost indistinguishable from the real Jay-Z. The user said that as a fan of Jay-Z, he “enjoyed” the track but doesn’t know if he should feel “good or ashamed” for liking AI-generated music.

The issue could only be the beginning of what could be in store for the music industry in its fight against AI technology taking advantage of intellectual property rights. Along with AI-generated music on Twitter and popular streaming platforms, entire YouTube pages are popping up, remaking well-known music via AI technology.

In response to the issue, UMG has taken an artist-first stance, writing in emails to the streaming services that “we will not hesitate to take steps to protect our rights and those of our artists.” The same Twitter user also tweeted a clip of an AI model of Kanye West singing along to the tracks of rapper Drake’s song “Hold On.” Examples like this touch on the exact fears UMG is currently raising about streaming services.

Google has also announced its own machine-learning music apparatus called MusicLM, which will be able to generate “high-fidelity music from text descriptions.” The application has yet to be released; however, Google has released an entire page on GitHub of sample music generated with insights about how it was generated.

In conclusion, the emergence of AI-generated music has raised concerns over copyright infringement and intellectual property rights in the music industry. As AI technology continues to advance, it will be increasingly important to protect the rights of artists and ensure that their work is not being replicated without their consent.

Anthropic's Updated Terms of Service: Enhanced Copyright Protection for AI Outputs

Anthropic, a leading company in generative artificial intelligence, has recently updated its commercial terms of service, effective January 1, 2024, to address important concerns regarding intellectual property and data usage. This update is particularly significant for users of Anthropic’s Claude API, which is also available through Amazon’s generative AI development suite, Bedrock.

Under the new terms, Anthropic has taken a strong stance to protect its customers from copyright infringement claims related to the authorized use of their services. The company commits to indemnify its enterprise Claude API customers from such claims, promising to defend against allegations that a customer’s paid use of Anthropic’s services, including data used to train their models, violates third-party intellectual property rights such as patents, trade secrets, trademarks, or copyrights.

This move places Anthropic alongside other major generative AI providers like Microsoft, Adobe, Shutterstock, OpenAI, IBM, and Google, who have also implemented similar intellectual property protection measures for their generative AI outputs. These protections, however, come with certain limitations. For instance, the indemnification does not cover claims related to customer prompts or uses of the service that violate the terms of use, arise from willful misconduct or violations of law, modifications made by the customer to the services or outputs, or the combination of services or outputs with technology not provided by Anthropic. Additionally, certain patent or trademark-related violations are also excluded from this protection.

Furthermore, it’s important for businesses considering the use of generative AI tools to thoroughly analyze the terms and conditions of the provider, taking into account not only legal factors but also non-legal considerations like pricing and technical capabilities. This comprehensive review should include an examination of the intellectual property protection provisions and any relevant exclusions offered by the provider, especially for paid or enterprise customers. Such diligence is crucial in the current landscape where copyright and privacy lawsuits against generative AI providers, concerning the scraping of copyrighted works for training AI models, are still ongoing. These legal battles present unresolved intellectual property issues, making the protections offered by companies like Anthropic a welcome addition for their customers. However, it’s vital for customers to fully understand and consider these terms and indemnification provisions in the context of their specific or potential uses.

Legal actions such as those initiated by Universal Music Group against Anthropic in October 2023, and the lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft by author Julian Sancton, highlight the complexities and evolving nature of copyright law in the age of artificial intelligence. These cases underscore the importance of AI companies proactively addressing copyright concerns and ensuring they have robust protections in place for their customers. Anthropic’s recent update to its terms of service is a step towards greater clarity and security in this rapidly advancing field.