A Buyer-Seller Protocol with Watermarking for Cloud Streaming : Towards an Ecosystem for Media Streaming

Sammanfattning: This work shares purpose with new directions in the philosophy of intellectual property, where self-expression and participation in the creation of culture are seen as key ingredients of human wellbeingand autonomy. A technical solution is explored that enables major labels and independent creatorsto publish music with equal reach to audiences, without the need for trusted third parties.The principal contribution is a buyer-seller protocol in the setting of untrusted service providersand a blockchain ledger. In the envisioned scenario, files are streamed from untrusted providers toend users. Encryption and watermarking, rather than obfuscation, are used to protect against anddisincentivize piracy. Watermarking bit rate, storage and communication overheads, and encryptionperformance are key parameters. Subscription and ad-supported pricing models are discussed.