How Does Story Protect IP?
Every license created on Story is a real, enforceable legal contract.

At its core, every IP Asset registered on Story is wrapped by a legally binding document called the Programmable IP License (PIL). Based on US copyright law, the PIL acts as a universal license agreement template that allows IP owners to attach customizable terms to their assets.

Licensing on Story means making a genuine legal commitment. The parameters defined in the PIL—commercial use, derivative allowances, attribution requirements, and royalty structures—represent legally enforceable terms between the IP owner (licensor) and anyone who licenses the IP (licensee).

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How does the PIL enable enforcement?

  • Clear Legal Terms: The PIL provides a standardized way for IP owners to define usage rules.
  • On-Chain Record as Evidence: PIL terms attached to an IP Asset are recorded immutably on Story’s purpose-built blockchain, serving as irrefutable evidence of the agreed-upon terms.
  • Off-Chain Legal Recourse: If IP is misused in violation of PIL terms, the IP owner can leverage on-chain evidence in off-chain legal proceedings such as arbitration or court actions.
  • License Tokens as Proof of Rights: Licensees receive a License Token (NFT) representing specific usage rights granted under the PIL terms, providing further evidence of authorization status.

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The Story Attestation Service (SAS): Proactive Infringement Monitoring

Beyond the legal framework, we are building the Story Attestation Service (SAS) to help IP owners monitor for potential copyright infringement using a multi-layered decentralized approach.

SAS is a signal layer, not a judgment layer—it flags potential issues for the IP owner to act upon, rather than taking automated enforcement actions.

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How the SAS Helps with Infringement Detection:

  • Network of Specialized Providers: SAS coordinates with service providers like Yakoa and Pex that use AI and machine learning to detect copyright violations across different media types on the internet and other blockchains.
  • Transparent Signals: SAS provides publicly accessible signals regarding the legitimacy of an IP Asset based on provider findings.
  • Focus on Commercial IP: Currently, SAS primarily runs infringement checks on commercial IP Assets—those with at least one License Terms where commercialUse = true.
  • Metadata-Driven Checks: SAS relies on IP-specific metadata provided during registration to perform checks against existing online content.

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Important Considerations:

  • Detection, Not Prevention: SAS primarily flags potential infringements after IP registration rather than preventing them.
  • Internet-Based Checks: Currently, SAS primarily detects infringement based on content already existing online, not offline uses.
  • No Guarantee of Perfection: No system can guarantee 100% detection of all copyright infringement.

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The Role of the Dispute Module

We have also built a Dispute Module that allows anyone to raise on-chain disputes against IP Assets for reasons such as improper registration or potential plagiarism. This can lead to on-chain flagging of disputed IP, potentially affecting its ability to generate licenses or earn revenue.

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The Hybrid Enforcement Model

Story doesn’t replace courts or lawyers—it gives IP holders tools that work with traditional enforcement systems while benefiting from on-chain automation, transparency, and interoperability.

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What Story Can Do:

  • Provide a legally sound framework for IP licensing through the PIL
  • Create an immutable on-chain record of IP ownership and license terms
  • Offer monitoring tools through the SAS to detect potential online infringement
  • Facilitate on-chain dispute resolution through the Dispute Module
  • Provide evidence usable for off-chain legal enforcement

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What Story Cannot Do:

  • Act as a global police force for IP infringement
  • Guarantee prevention of all unauthorized IP uses
  • Directly enforce legal judgments in the physical world
  • Monitor every digital and physical interaction with registered IP
+--------------------------+      +-----------------------------+
| IP Owner Registers IP on |----->| IP Asset Created on Story   |
| Story                    |      | (with associated metadata)  |
+--------------------------+      +-----------------------------+
                                          |
                                          v
+---------------------------------------+   +-------------------------+
| Programmable IP License (PIL)         |<--| IP Owner Attaches Legal |
| (Legal wrapper defining usage terms)  |   | Terms via PIL           |
+---------------------------------------+   +-------------------------+
                                          |
                                          v
                                  +-------------------------+
                                  | IP Asset with PIL Terms |
                                  | (Commercial Use = true) |
                                  +-------------------------+
                                          |
                                          v
+--------------------------+      +-------------------------------------+
| Story Attestation        |----->| SAS Providers Scan Internet & Other |
| Service (SAS) Coordinates|      | Sources for Infringement (using IP  |
+--------------------------+      | Metadata)                           |
                                  +-------------------------------------+
                                          |
                                          v
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| SAS Providers Report Potential Infringement Signals for the IP Asset |
| (e.g., "Potential copy found on website X")                          |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
                                          |
                                          v
+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
| IP Owner Reviews SAS Signals on IP Portal (Coming Soon)             |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
                                          |
                                          v
+---------------------------------------------------------------------+
| IP Owner Can Use SAS Signals & PIL Terms as Evidence for:           |
| - On-Chain Dispute via Dispute Module                               |
| - Off-Chain Legal Action (e.g., Cease & Desist, Lawsuit)            |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------+