Technology law is getting evolved due to growth in sectors like blockchain, AI, ML, data science and Web 3.0 Innovations.
An Explanation of Blockchain Distributed Ledger Technology
A good explanation of what Blockchain distributed ledger technology is will help you understand its key components. Blockchain, Peer-to-peer networks, Hashing, and consensus mechanisms are all explained. Now, let’s get started. If you’re not familiar with these, read on! Listed below are some of the main terms that are used in this technology. This can help you better understand how it works and why it’s important for your business.
Block chain
With the advent of Blockchain distributed ledger technology, many new transactions can be processed with much faster and more secure results. The technology revolves around a decentralized database that is encoded and serves as a ledger, recording all transactions. This is achieved by using cryptography, which encrypts the data. Any changes to the hash value are immediately detected by every network node. The resulting distributed ledger can be used for various purposes, from trading to financial services.
The potential of DLT in the financial sector is considerable. According to the World Economic Forum, by 2027, 10% of the world’s GDP will be stored in blockchains. Although the European Central Bank has not yet formally endorsed the technology, it is following its development closely. In particular, it has developed several DLT prototypes for the exchange of securities against cash. This technology has enormous potential and is expected to disrupt financial markets in the near future.
Peer-to-peer network
A peer-to-peer network using blockchain distributed-leadger technology is a way to process payments between individuals. This system is built on a distributed database that is encoded and serves as a ledger. The updates in transactions are secured using cryptography. Blockchain is a decentralized technology, meaning that its users are not connected to any central authority. Unlike traditional payment methods, a blockchain-based network is designed to be decentralized.
The benefits of using this system over traditional client-server arrangements are numerous. Because nodes communicate through their peers, they are more secure than client-server arrangements. In addition, the distributed nature of blockchains makes them virtually impregnable to attacks. The semantic layer is the layer that handles the relationship between the blocks and provides a protocol for ensuring that the blockchain is secure. In this way, a peer-to-peer network is ideal for financial transactions.
Hashing
Blockchain technology is a form of distributed ledger that uses cryptographic hashing. A blockchain stores hashes of transactions, and the hash of the previous block, which links together the data. The SHA256 algorithm is one of the most secure hashing algorithms, and is used in many bitcoin systems. However, it is not a universally accepted standard for hashing. It is still being investigated as a means to make data secure and linkable, and the paper’s limitations and benefits need further research.
While this method isn’t completely secure, it helps to protect the integrity of data by creating a unique hash for each record. If a user still has the original record, he can compare the hash with another trustworthy hash to see if they match. A blockchain’s digital ledger is designed to store valuable information. Since the nodes are distrusting one another, it is vulnerable to manipulation.
Consensus mechanisms
The main difference between the two methods of determining who is the owner of a certain block is how the consensus mechanism is determined. Bitcoin, for example, uses a Proof of Work consensus mechanism. This method is based on a central administrator who updates a database and adds new validators. The more validators that are in the network, the more likely they will be chosen to publish a block.
Blockchains use different consensus mechanisms to ensure that a single chain remains a trusted one. A good consensus mechanism encourages “good” nodes to propose blocks. This reduces the risk of a single node compromising the integrity of a chain. Consensus failures are expensive to undo. Consensus mechanisms in blockchain distributed ledger technology help avoid these problems. Consensus mechanisms differ in their objectives, but the main goal is the same: to establish a unified agreement.
In 1485 the first system of protection of intellectual property came in the form on Venetian Ordinance historically. In England in 1623 it was followed by Statue of Monopolies, which extended rights of patents for Technology Inventions. In 1760, patent laws were introduced in The United States. Between 1880 and 1889 patent laws of most European countries were developed. In the year 1856 in India Patent Act was introduced which remained in force for more than 50 years which was later modified and revised and was called “The Indian Patents and Designs Act, 1911”. A complete bill on patent rights was enacted after Independence in the year 1970 and was called “The Patents Act, 1970”.
Specific statues protected only specific type of intellectual output; till very recently only four forms were protected. The protection was in the form of grant of designs, patents, trademarks and copyrights. In India, copyrights were regulated under the Copyright Act, 1957; trademarks under Trade and Merchandise Marks Act 1958; patents under Patents Act, 1970; and designs under Designs Act, 1911.
The establishment of WTO and India also being signatory to the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), many new legislations were passed for the protection of intellectual property rights to meet the obligations internationally. These included the following: Designs Act, 1911 was changed by the Designs Act, 2000; Trade Marks, called the Trade Mark Act, 1999; the Copyright Act, 1957 was revised number of times, the latest is known as Copyright (Amendment) Act, 2012; and the recent amendments made to the Patents Act, 1970 in 2005. Other than this, plant varieties and geographical indications were also enacted in new legislations. These are called Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, and Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act, 2001 respectively.
Intellectual property rights have developed to a stature from where it plays an important role in developing economy globally, over the last fifteen years. In 1990s, laws and regulations were strengthened I this area by many countries unilaterally. In the multilateral level, there was enhanced protection and enforcement of IPRs to the level of solemn international commitment because of successful conclusion of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) in World Trade Organization. It is felt strongly that under the competitive environment globally, stronger IPR protection rises the incentives for innovations and raises returns to international transfer of technology.