Leveraging blockchain and artificial intelligence for enhanced copyright enforcement in South Africa

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dc.contributor.advisorNcube, Caroline
dc.contributor.authorMugauri, Joseph
dc.date.accessioned2025-12-24T08:54:00Z
dc.date.available2025-12-24T08:54:00Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.date.updated2025-12-24T08:51:36Z
dc.description.abstractLeveraging Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence for Enhanced Copyright Enforcement in South Africa The Fourth Industrial Revolution has significantly impacted copyright enforcement, particularly in South Africa, where technological advancements have bolstered and challenged existing frameworks. This dissertation explores the integration of blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance copyright enforcement mechanisms in the digital realm. Current enforcement methods face several challenges, including lengthy legal proceedings, slow legislative updates, circumvention techniques, accessibility concerns, non-compliance, and algorithmic bias. These issues necessitate innovative solutions to protect intellectual property rights effectively. With its decentralised and immutable nature, blockchain technology offers promising solutions for transparent and efficient copyright enforcement. Concurrently, AI technologies such as machine learning, deep learning, and adaptive algorithms can enhance the detection and prevention of copyright infringements, including brute force attacks, malware, phishing, and illegal streaming. This research delves into the potential of AI and blockchain for detecting infringing content, blockchain-based arbitration platforms for resolving disputes, and adaptive watermarking algorithms to trace the unauthorised use of digital content. The benefits of these technologies include increased efficiency, improved accuracy, transparency, and traceability. However, implementing these technologies poses challenges such as regulatory compliance, privacy concerns, ethical considerations, and associated costs. It recommends policy updates, ethical guidelines, and collaborative efforts to ensure blockchain and AI's responsible and effective use in copyright enforcement. By leveraging these technologies, South Africa can strengthen its copyright framework, fostering creativity and innovation while safeguarding intellectual property rights in the digital age.
dc.identifier.apacitationMugauri, J. (2025). <i>Leveraging blockchain and artificial intelligence for enhanced copyright enforcement in South Africa</i>. (). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Law ,Department of Commercial Law. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42490en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationMugauri, Joseph. <i>"Leveraging blockchain and artificial intelligence for enhanced copyright enforcement in South Africa."</i> ., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Law ,Department of Commercial Law, 2025. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42490en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationMugauri, J. 2025. Leveraging blockchain and artificial intelligence for enhanced copyright enforcement in South Africa. . University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Law ,Department of Commercial Law. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42490en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Mugauri, Joseph AB - Leveraging Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence for Enhanced Copyright Enforcement in South Africa The Fourth Industrial Revolution has significantly impacted copyright enforcement, particularly in South Africa, where technological advancements have bolstered and challenged existing frameworks. This dissertation explores the integration of blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance copyright enforcement mechanisms in the digital realm. Current enforcement methods face several challenges, including lengthy legal proceedings, slow legislative updates, circumvention techniques, accessibility concerns, non-compliance, and algorithmic bias. These issues necessitate innovative solutions to protect intellectual property rights effectively. With its decentralised and immutable nature, blockchain technology offers promising solutions for transparent and efficient copyright enforcement. Concurrently, AI technologies such as machine learning, deep learning, and adaptive algorithms can enhance the detection and prevention of copyright infringements, including brute force attacks, malware, phishing, and illegal streaming. This research delves into the potential of AI and blockchain for detecting infringing content, blockchain-based arbitration platforms for resolving disputes, and adaptive watermarking algorithms to trace the unauthorised use of digital content. The benefits of these technologies include increased efficiency, improved accuracy, transparency, and traceability. However, implementing these technologies poses challenges such as regulatory compliance, privacy concerns, ethical considerations, and associated costs. It recommends policy updates, ethical guidelines, and collaborative efforts to ensure blockchain and AI's responsible and effective use in copyright enforcement. By leveraging these technologies, South Africa can strengthen its copyright framework, fostering creativity and innovation while safeguarding intellectual property rights in the digital age. DA - 2025 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - blockchain KW - artificial intelligence KW - copyright enforcement KW - digital copyright KW - intellectual property KW - South Africa KW - technological protection measures KW - smart contracts KW - digital infringement detection LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2025 T1 - Leveraging blockchain and artificial intelligence for enhanced copyright enforcement in South Africa TI - Leveraging blockchain and artificial intelligence for enhanced copyright enforcement in South Africa UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42490 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/42490
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationMugauri J. Leveraging blockchain and artificial intelligence for enhanced copyright enforcement in South Africa. []. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Law ,Department of Commercial Law, 2025 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42490en_ZA
dc.language.rfc3066eng
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Commercial Law
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Law
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subjectblockchain
dc.subjectartificial intelligence
dc.subjectcopyright enforcement
dc.subjectdigital copyright
dc.subjectintellectual property
dc.subjectSouth Africa
dc.subjecttechnological protection measures
dc.subjectsmart contracts
dc.subjectdigital infringement detection
dc.titleLeveraging blockchain and artificial intelligence for enhanced copyright enforcement in South Africa
dc.typeThesis / Dissertation
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationlevelLLM
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