KodakOne and the Future of the Image Economy

Norbert Gehrke
Sep 1, 2018 · 3 min read
Image protection and monetization secured in the blockchain

Jan Denecke, CEO and co-founder of WENN Digital, Inc., the company behind the KODAKOne platform, will present at the Tokyo FinTech Meetup on Tuesday, September 4. Jan will share his vision for the platform, interesting insights about IP protection and the image economy, and the lessons that he and his team learned along the way of building one of the most ambitious startups in the market right now.

WENN Digital, Inc. and Eastman Kodak Company (“Kodak”) have entered into a brand licensing relationship. WENN Digital will provide digital asset management and protection under the KODAK brand for photographers and image related IP holders worldwide, utilizing blockchain technology. It will be called the KODAKOne Image Rights Management Platform.

The KODAKOne Platform will enable photographers from around the world to earn money from diverse new revenue streams and get paid faster. WENN Digital intends to deliver its immutable blockchain-enabled copyright protection combined with a high-efficiency “trustless” (no trust needed) transaction platform for the assured licensing of rights-cleared and protected digital assets. The aim is to create a sustainable community of the world’s photographic supply chain, from photographers of all levels, to rights holders and buyers of creative images and image-related IP.

The KODAKOne Platform will have the potential to offer photographers lucrative new revenue streams, including participation in planned big data research and distributed web crawling programs, where photographers will be paid by the platform in KODAKCoin for their participation. The goal is for the KODAKOne Platform to also create incremental value for IP owners with proprietary SWARM web crawlers and image-recognition programs, which will specifically identify unlicensed use of protected images that have been registered on the Blockchain Registry. They intend to use automated and human processes to convert any commercial unlicensed users into license-paying customers and deliver incremental, long-term revenue streams for image rights holders.

With to-be developed smart contracts and real-time transaction engines, the KODAKOne Platform will aim to pay photographers in KODAKCoin directly to their digital wallets. Photographers will have the option to use their KODAKCoin to purchase goods and services available on the KODAKOne Platform, including cameras, film, other photographic accessories, studio time, offers of photo assignments or talent agency models. In addition, KODAKCoin will be listed on one or more exchanges after issuance in order to provide an additional avenue of liquidity for tokenholders.

WENN Digital is incorporated in Delaware, headquartered in Venice, California, with platform development and operations in Berlin, Germany and marketing and sales offices in Hollywood, California and London, England. The founding partners include shareholders of WENN Media and shareholders of Ryde.


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