San Francisco-based startup Story has managed to raise a significant $80 million in funding with the aim of developing an innovative blockchain that would protect the intellectual property rights of creators against artificial intelligence manufacturers such as OpenAI. This initiative comes in a context where artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly relying on existing data, sometimes protected by copyright, to improve the performance of its models. Valued at $2.25 billion after just two years of inception, Story demonstrates huge potential to change the way intellectual property is protected and managed in the digital age. The Series B funding round, led by renowned venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), was also supported by other major entities such as Polychain and Brevan Howard. Story proposes a solution based on blockchain technology that allows creators to protect their work and prove their intellectual property (IP) rights in a secure and transparent way. By storing IP on the Story platform, creators can embed terms like licensing fees and royalty-sharing agreements directly into contracts. These contracts, stored on the blockchain, are automatically executed when certain conditions are met, thus eliminating the need for intermediaries such as lawyers or agents. This innovative approach transforms the complex process of negotiating IP usage rights into a simplified and efficient one, allowing creators to monetize their work in a fair and transparent way.
One of the biggest challenges facing the digital industry today is the unauthorized use of copyrighted content by generative AI models. These models, such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, require enormous amounts of data to perfect their performance, but often use copyrighted material without properly compensating the original creators. A notable example of this is the lawsuit filed by the New York Times against Microsoft and OpenAI, in which the newspaper seeks damages for the unauthorized use of its content. Story positions itself as a viable solution to this problem, providing a mechanism for creators to protect and monetize their IP in a transparent and secure manner. Story plans to use the proceeds to develop its network infrastructure and attract new developer partners. The company currently has over 200 developers using its platform to create content with programmable IP. In the view of Story co-founder and CEO SY Lee, the long-term success of AI depends on the ability to properly respect and compensate content creators. In a digital age where more and more people are becoming creators, Story provides an essential platform that ensures their work is protected and monetized in a fair and transparent way. Thus, the startup not only brings a major innovation in the protection of intellectual property, but also contributes to setting new standards in the relationship between AI and copyright. The investment in Story reflects the growing interest in protecting intellectual property rights in an ever-evolving digital world. Through the use of blockchain technology, Story aims to redefine how creators protect and monetize their work, providing an essential solution to the challenges posed by AI. As technology continues to evolve, the importance of copyright protection will increase, and Story is at the forefront of this digital revolution.
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