AttributionCoin — Social Media Crypto-Currency using Blockchain

Did the headline grab your attention? Wondering when the ICO will be issued? You’ll have to wait — because that is not the point of this article.

Fresh off the heady events that were the CreativeCrypto Symposium and the Ethereal Summit 2018, I want to congratulate the astounding achievements in the form of Consensys Ventures’ support for DADA.nyc and the fundraising and sales heights reached by Codex Protocol and Rare Art Labs — all of which illuminate a bright path for crypto art and music.

Despite these fireworks, I was struck by the potentially unrealizable hope pinned on blockchain and cryptocurrencies for the arts and artists. While I am decidedly a fan of both, I am not so naïve to think that these tools alone will solve the underlying difficulties facing the arts and related industries. Significant work remains to be done by artists themselves as well as within the industry to acknowledge the increasingly pressing need to rebalance the relationship between artists, the public and related supporting businesses.

The most significant promises I think worthy of consideration in crypto are in the forms of smart contracts and other crypto-currency based royalty distribution methods. Most artist-related contracts terms are outmoded and impractical. Their modernization has languished due to an unwillingness (at least in my opinion) to acknowledge some fundamental facts about how business is conducted on the internet, how art in physical as well as digital form has been and will be protected to benefit creators, as well as public expectations for unencumbered and free access to artists’ labors.

Some of my conversations with artists last week revolved around whether scarcity is a good thing. More than one artist said that what they are primarily interested in is getting people to hear or see their art — not necessarily locking it down in limited editions or rare releases. On the other side, there are those artists who are intrigued with limited access to exclusive content or artistic expression in order to make a living as an artist.

Neither artistic camp should feel compelled to make a choice — as if an artist should not make pieces available in any format and at any availability level the artist wishes — and some crypto solutions can help. Maybe folks can encourage engagement on social media platforms to recognize the contributions these artists make in the form of a simple attribution. Indeed, in copyright circles, the right of attribution is frequently discussed as a right separate from copyrights as it is recognized in other countries as a moral right. And this effort at a grassroots level may lead to the relationship changes suggested here.

If you hear great music, see a fantastic painting, laugh at a meme, like startling graffiti imagery, or dig a photo online — maybe take the extra step and find the creator and give a shout out in the form of attribution on your social media platforms.

You may not get an AttributionCoin, but you will make a creator’s day!

#ArtistsDeserveMore

(This article was first published on LinkedIn.com on May 17, 2018.)