Blockchain and intellectual property: applying a new technology in the management of intangible rights

Abstract

One of the emerging technologies that is gaining great relevance in recent years and that promises to revolutionize transactions between individuals is blockchain, a technology considered to be the leader of the so-called fourth industrial revolution due to its ability to manage digital assets and facilitate their transfer under a trustworthy decentralized scheme.
This article starts from the premise that the Law must keep abreast of and adapt to technological changes in the contemporary world. Specifically, this work addresses blockchain technology and its application in a specific area of Law: Intellectual Property. In that order of ideas, the authors begin by taking a historical journey of blockchain technology, from its origins, to its regulation in various countries of the world. Then, they explain the operation and characteristics of the aforementioned technology to, finally, address its application in the Intellectual Property field and the advantages that blockchain offers to this branch of Law.