Awareness of copyright is increasing in the Czech Republic but few people take care to ensure, when protecting their intellectual property, that they should have sufficient proof of authorship in advance to prevent potential disputes. Today, it is no longer necessary to go to a notary or to undergo complicated registration in an office. Credible proof can be obtained easily online.
Are you the author of a photograph or video, have you created a new design, written a book or created any other text? Are you afraid that someone will copy your work or misuse it? These days, it is extremely difficult to defend yourself effectively in such cases, and few people go to court to protect their rights. In many cases, it is a lengthy journey with an uncertain outcome. Indeed, the author may very easily find himself or herself in need of proof in court. Although he or she may claim that he or she was the author of a particular work at a particular time, he or she should be able to prove it in all circumstances.
Lessons in copyright compliance
Architects Adam Jirkal and Jerry Koza from Prague’s Atelier SAD are aware of this. More than ten years ago, a unique petrol station was built according to their design in the village of Matúškovo in Slovakia. The petrol station has a unique roof shape and its unique appearance has won great international acclaim and has even made it onto the lists of the most beautiful petrol stations in the world.
A few years later, in 2019, a strikingly similar petrol station was built in Prague’s Libeň borough. The architects found out by accident when friends started sending them photos of the new petrol station and thought it was their own design. As a result, the architects of Atelier SAD contacted our office to help them solve the matter.
The court issued a preliminary injunction and the petrol station in Libeň had to cover the roof and hang signs stating that Atelier SAD’s architects had not granted a licence for this construction. The dispute was eventually settled out of court in favour of the architects of the original design. This is also one example of non-compliance with copyright. “We wanted to address this issue and show that there are definitely some rules to follow in architecture and respect for unique architectural ideas and designs,” said Jerry Koza. This is also why Atelier SAD is one of the first to pay attention to copyright protection and use the new online solution Certoo, which HAVEL & PARTNERS developed in cooperation with ARTinii Production.
With the symbiosis of the innovative solution of the largest Czech-Slovak law firm and dynamic blockchain technology it is so easy to secure your intellectual property online with a few clicks.
Blockchain in the act
It is a kind of digital notary enabling instant confirmation of the ownership and existence of a document online. A few simple steps are all it takes. Go to www.certoo.eu on your mobile or computer. Upload your digital content to Certoo, which accepts all file formats. Fill in your personal details and download your digital certificate with a time stamp. This confirms that you uploaded the file at that moment. For the price of a coffee and a cake, you have official proof that the work you have created existed on a certain date, which you could previously only credibly prove by means of a notarial deed, which is costly both in money and time.
The tool is mostly used by copywriters, photographers, musicians, composers, architects, designers or developers. However, it can be used to preserve pretty much anything you could possibly use in the event of insufficient evidence, helping you to prove that the file was uploaded by you at the given time.
Petrol station GAS Matúškovo, Atelier SAD 2011
The copy of petrol station (2019) – STOPKA LIBEŇ
At Certoo, you also get access to your own private online repository. You can upload additional projects to this environment and administer them as necessary. This way you always have the original file at hand. The stored data is secure and encrypted, as has been confirmed by an independent expert opinion. Data is safe on the blockchain because it is a transparent, decentralised and immutable system of data blocks.
The Certoo project is a ticket to the future of all electronic data protection. The vision of the project is to simplify the protection of know-how and at the same time to enable efficient work with document archives that can be securely shared without worrying about information manipulation. With the symbiosis of the innovative solution of the largest Czech-Slovak law firm and dynamic blockchain technology, otherwise used mostly in cryptocurrency operations, it is so easy to secure your intellectual property online with a few clicks.
Try how easy it is with Certoo. The first use is for free.
