The construct of protecting works of art in the digital space has intrigued me since the beginning of the internet. At the time I was in the music business and realized early on how disruptive digital distribution would become to all entertainment industries, especially music, film and television. While digital rights management attempts to address the protection of copyrighted material in those markets my concerns are in the area of rampant "lifting" and "re-purposing" of imagery such as photography or art.
As a photographer, filmmaker and composer I have remained skeptical and even reticent about posting my work online. With the advent of companies such as Steemit and Ascribe I am now beginning to embrace the concept. Using blockchain as a tool for copyright protection is a very exciting construct and the following articles addresse how companies are seeking to re-invent the artwork with this powerful technology.
https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/bitcoin-digital-art-scarcity/
https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/intellectual-property-ascribe-io-looks-revolutionize-digital-art/
The following article is a pretty cool read of the potential this technology has for art:
http://thenewstack.io/why-art-could-become-currency-in-a-cryptocurrency-world/