There have been talks everywhere about a kickstarter-like platform here on the steem blockchain. Infact, some upcoming blockchains has that as their very agenda i.e adding the decentralization factor to enterprises like Kickstarter! But is this really possible with blockchain?
Look at steem for example; it is the most amazing blockchain out there and basically, the only one that has a full-fleshed working community and social platform; just the perfect environment for a kickstarter, you would say! Also, fast block-time and no fees etc
However, on steem it is very popular to see someone start an idea today and the very next day, an exact idea is published by someone else. For example, the voting bots can very easily be called an innovation idea and must have been started by someone before the advent of many more bots with practically the same model. It is true that ideas are not protectable but a prototype does have some form of protection especially, if blockchain becomes involved
One would feel, being the first to publish it on the steem blockchain, which is indestructible, verifiable; has a community (witnesses); a reputation system etc will him give some form of protection or patent for his prototype.
On steem however, it looks like the above isn't the case or is it?
Does steem being open-source etc removes any room for invention protection. It is not uncommon to see something you start, taken up by someone else the very next day and overtaken completely and usually, the reason given is that steem is open-source.
So how will a kickstarter work on steem for instance?
A kickstarter may simply a startup looking to raise funds with help from a community. One would feel that would outrightly work on steem.
Most of the people doing kickstarters are likely start-ups on a limited budget; thus, innovation involved may not even have a patent yet and the inventor is looking to raise money to likely accomplish that.
So what happens when he publishes his invention on the blockchain and the next day, another person decides to pick it up and continue it, likely get a patent for it because he has to funds to?
Is there any form of protection by means of the decentralized steem blockchain to make ideas get some protection or is it totally impossible because the steem is open-source?
Even if one doesn't have the means to protect his invention in the real world under real laws and governance by means of expensive patents etc, can't steem easily serve that purpose being that it is a decentralized blockchain, with a community?
What are your thoughts?