People always ask me why blockchain is such a big part of my skill set. They assume it’s all about Bitcoin. But here’s the truth—blockchain wasn’t created for Bitcoin. It was created for decentralized access control. The goal was never just digital currency; it was about putting control back into the hands of the people.
Now, as the internet continues to expand, we’re seeing why this matters. Look at the recent Thomson Reuters case. A court just ruled that an AI company infringed on Westlaw’s copyrighted legal content. What does this mean? It means that as AI tools scrape, learn, and replicate content, fair use will only take us so far. The internet’s early days of open access are giving way to legal battles over who truly owns the data. And make no mistake—this is just the beginning.
The Problem: Who Controls Your Data?
For too long, corporations have controlled everything: our personal data, corporate data, private data—any data. We’ve handed over our digital lives to companies that profit from our information without giving us any real say in how it’s used. That needs to change.
People have spent years learning about digital security, privacy, and encryption, but knowledge isn’t enough. We need tools—real, usable tools—that put data control back into the hands of the users. That means blockchain, decentralized identity systems, and zero-trust architectures that don’t rely on a single company deciding who gets access.
Fair Use Was a Band-Aid, Not a Solution
For years, the fair use doctrine has been a crutch for digital content, allowing limited use of copyrighted material. But that framework is being tested like never before. AI, automation, and data mining are pushing legal and ethical boundaries that our existing laws weren’t built to handle. Court cases like Thomson Reuters v. Ross Intelligence are just the first signs of a bigger shift.
The era of fair use as we know it is coming to an end. The new internet must be built with real access controls, and that can’t happen if companies, not individuals, own the keys.
The Solution: Decentralization and User-Controlled Data
We’re long past the stage where people just need to “understand” digital security. Now is the time to implement real protections that ensure user-controlled access to data. And that’s where blockchain and decentralized ledger technology come in.
Imagine an internet where you—not Google, Facebook, or some government entity—control exactly who can access your data. Where your digital identity, files, and even AI-generated content are governed by cryptographic ownership instead of corporate policies. That’s not a pipe dream; that’s the future blockchain enables.
My Final Thought…
Fair use won’t last forever, but decentralized ownership can. If we want to set the internet and the fair use of data on the right path, we need to stop relying on outdated laws and start building new frameworks with blockchain and decentralized identity at their core.
The internet was supposed to be about open access, but that doesn’t mean giving away control. It’s time we reclaim our digital rights—not through lawsuits, but through technology.