Decentralized autonomous termination contracts protect the IP of musicians while neutralizing the discriminatory practices of predatory intermediaries
Tonya M. Evans 22, 4/15/2022, Professor, Penn State Dickinson Law. B.S., Northwestern University; J.D. (Dean’s List), Howard University School of Law (cum laude; editor-in-chief, Howard Law Journal), “De-Gentrified Black Genius: Blockchain, Copyright, and the Disintermediation of Creativity”, https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2609&context=plr (page 678-679)
Decentralized autonomous termination contracts: also known as smart contracts, digital agreements that are stored in the blockchain and automatically execute an agreement (usually a payment) when certain conditions are met
Often poor economic conditions, discriminatory practices, misappropriation, and unscrupulous representation have led to unconscionable deals (even by music industry standards) that have left even the most prolific and successful artists destitute and indebted, or simply with no attribution, compensation, or deal.202 However, a decentralized autonomous termination right could level the negotiating playing field, neutralize the impact of predatory and discriminatory practices, remove rentseeking gatekeepers, and give Black artists a true second bite at the proverbial apple.203 With an automated, decentralized, and de-gentrified system, these artists can finally raise a proverbial fist and achieve true entrepreneurial and economic power by successfully leveraging their rights early in a creative work’s life cycle and then confidently reclaiming copyright decades later after the work has had a sufficient opportunity to prove its value and worth.204 Aspirational, but attainable via decentralized autonomous copyright termination