Blockchain, Smart Contracts and Intellectual Property. Using distributed ledger technology to protect, license and enforce intellectual property rights

For several years, almost everyone has been talking about blockchain. The underlying distributed ledger technology has become (in)famous as the technology behind cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ether. But what about blockchain and intellectual property like patents and copyright? Could this technology be used for the protection and enforcement of such rights? Which role can smart contracts play in this regard? This article focuses on questions concerning the requirements for provingthe protection of technical inventions as well as on the administration and exploitation of intellectual property rights. The latter could play an important rolefor intellectual property, which has not been registered or is not subject to registration, such as copyright. For trade secrets, a blockchain could be a useful tool for providing appropriate confidentiality measures. Last but not least, smart contracts in particular could be involved in connection with the transfer and, even more importantly, the licensing of intellectual property and mainly of software.