Blockchain Technology Development as Tool for Enhancing Security in Management and Protection of Intellectual Property Rights in Additive Manufacturing

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to analyze the capabilities of blockchain technology as a tool for enhancing the security in management and protection of intellectual property rights in additive manufacturing. The study is research-oriented and is an introduction to the use of blockchain technology for intellectual property protection. The following methods are used in the study: the analysis of documents on the use of blockchain technology in industrial asset management and the protection of content creators' rights, as well as the expert survey to assess the reliability of the selected sources. The authors introduce the term blockchain and discuss the capabilities of this technology for intellectual property protection in the field of design and production. A digital platform is proposed to enable the file exchange. Moreover, the authors describe the three main steps for developing a digital platform based on blockchain technology: the development of specialized tokens to reward users, the definition of conditions that should be included in smart contracts and the size of awards and incentives for each interested party that gains access to the platform.