Privacy-Preserving IP Registry with ZKPs/Midnight

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Rares Kövesdi

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

Entity (Not Incorporated)

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

9

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language

No

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

A decentralized, Cardano IP registry utilizing ZKPs / Midnight to enable secure, private registration and management of IP rights, offering selective disclosure without the need to mint public NFTs.

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.”

No dependencies.

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

No

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

As this is a concept phase project, we can’t commit to open-sourcing all the outputs, however, where feasible, we will open-source components of the project, encouraging collaboration and further development by the community.

[METADATA] Horizons

Authentication

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

The current landscape of intellectual property (IP) management is fraught with challenges. Centralized systems often prove inefficient, opaque, and expensive, particularly for creators in developing nations. Verifying ownership and managing rights can be cumbersome, while the public nature of many blockchain-based solutions like NFTs may not suit all creators' needs.

Our approach will make use of Cardano's inherent strengths – security, scalability, and sustainability – to build the prototype of a decentralized IP registry that prioritizes privacy and creator control. By utilizing privacy preserving technology, Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) / Midnight, we enable creators to securely register and manage their IP rights without the necessity for public disclosure or NFT minting.

This solution directly engages both creators and other IP stakeholders.

Creators:

Artists, musicians, writers, developers, and other content producers across various domains who seek an efficient, private, and secure way to manage their IP.

IP stakeholders:

Legal professionals, licensing agencies, and potential licensees who stand to benefit from a transparent and streamlined IP management system.

We will develop a high-level prototype showcasing the user interface and core functionalities of the system: IP registration, ownership verification, and selective disclosure using privacy preserving technology.

We plan to gather insights from creators and IP stakeholders to refine the solution and ensure it meets real-world needs. Conducting in-depth interviews and surveys with creators from various domains (film, music, etc.) to understand their specific needs and pain points regarding IP management.

This approach allows us to validate the concept, gather valuable feedback, and refine the solution before proceeding to full-scale development and on-chain implementation.

Unique Aspects and Benefits to Cardano

Our solution's uniqueness lies in its combination of decentralization and privacy, leveraging Cardano for a tamper-proof and censorship-resistant IP registry and utilizing privacy preserving technology to enable selective disclosure and private management of IP rights, setting it apart from public NFT-based solutions.

Provides a global platform for creators, regardless of location or resources, to securely manage their IP. Our solution has the potential to be broadly impactful.

This project showcases Cardano’s potential to support real-world use cases beyond just financial applications.

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

By providing a secure, private, and accessible platform for IP management, we enable creators globally to protect and monetize their work effectively. The immutable and transparent nature of the blockchain, combined with the use of privacy preserving technology, enhances trust and transparency in IP transactions. This reduces disputes, streamlines licensing, and facilitates fair compensation for creators, fostering a more efficient and fair creative economy.

In addition, the project showcases Cardano's potential beyond DeFi, attracting a broader range of users and use cases to the network. This drives adoption, increases on-chain activity, and contributes to the overall growth and sustainability of the Cardano ecosystem.

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

We have been funded and we successfully completed and closed-out, multiple Catalyst funded projects, such as the NFT Swap Infrastructure Templates (https://projectcatalyst.io/funds/8/f8-open-source-development-ecosystem/nft-swap-infrastructure-templates-1), an open-source NFT swapping solution, easily implementable by any Cardano-based project.

The second phase of our Swap Infrastructure project, Random Swaps, is currently in development and nearing completion. You can check our progress here: https://milestones.projectcatalyst.io/projects/1100202

We have a proven track record of successfully developing tools for the Cardano community. 

We are also the authors of the Cardano NFT Guides (https://www.nft-guild.io/cardano-nft-guides), the most prominent source of knowledge about everything NFTs on Cardano. 

In addition, we were also successfully funded for a standard setting proposal in Catalyst Fund 8, which we have successfully delivered on and closed out.

NFT Royalty Standards:

https://projectcatalyst.io/funds/8/f8-open-standards-and-interoperability/nft-guild-nft-royalty-standards 

We have robust processes in place to ensure proper management and accountability of funds. Our operations are transparent, and we maintain an open line of communication with the community.

[PROJECT MILESTONES] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Milestone 1: Conceptualization and Design (Month 1-2)

Milestone Outputs:

• Comprehensive research report on existing IP management systems, highlighting their strengths, weaknesses, and user pain points
• Legal consultation report outlining relevant IP laws and regulations, ensuring compliance
• Detailed documentation of the core features and functionalities of the decentralized IP registry
• High-level system architecture design, incorporating ZKP / Midnight integration for privacy and selective disclosure
• Set of user stories capturing various user interactions and needs for the platform

Acceptance Criteria:

• Research report demonstrates a thorough understanding of the IP landscape and user needs
• Legal consultation report provides clear guidance on compliance requirements
• Feature documentation clearly defines the scope and functionality of the IP registry
• High-level system architecture design is technically sound and incorporates ZKPs / Midnight effectively
• User stories accurately reflect diverse user perspectives and platform usage scenarios

Evidence of Milestone Completion:

• Links to the research report, legal consultation report, feature documentation, and high-level system architecture design
• Link to the user stories document

Milestone 2: Prototype Development (Month 3-6)

Milestone Outputs:

• Wireframes and high-fidelity mockups demonstrating the user interface and user flow of the platform.
• A functional high-level prototype showcasing core functionalities, such as IP registration, ownership verification, and selective disclosure (not yet on-chain).
• A conceptual framework outlining the integration of ZKP protocols and/or Midnight for secure and private IP management, detailing the specific ZKP schemes, or Midnight integration and their application within the system.

Acceptance Criteria:

• Wireframes and mockups adhere to best practices in UX/UI design
• High-level prototype demonstrates core features without actual on-chain transactions
• Privacy preserving technology conceptual framework is technically sound, clearly outlining the chosen ZKP schemes and/or Midnight, and their role in ensuring privacy and security within the system

Evidence of Milestone Completion:

• Link to wireframes and high-fidelity mockups
• Video demo of the high-level prototype
• Link to the privacy preserving technology conceptual framework

Milestone 3: User Research, Expert Consultation, Feedback and Refinement (Month 7-8)

Milestone Outputs:

• Engage with creators from various domains to gather feedback on the prototype. Produce a detailed report summarizing user feedback from interviews and surveys, highlighting key insights and pain points regarding IP management.
• Consult with legal experts and privacy preserving technology specialists to ensure the solution's compliance and technical soundness, and produce a report outlining their recommendations and any necessary adjustments to the developed prototype.
• An updated version of the high-level prototype incorporating user and expert feedback, demonstrating improved user experience and technical soundness.
• Comprehensive documentation detailing the project's technical specifications, legal considerations, and potential impact.

Acceptance Criteria:

• User research report provides valuable insights into creator needs and expectations, informing prototype refinement.
• Expert consultation report demonstrates adherence to legal requirements and best practices in privacy preserving technology implementation.
• Updated prototype reflects user and expert feedback.
• Project documentation is well-organized, comprehensive, and clearly communicates the project's vision and technical aspects.

Evidence of Milestone Completion:

• Link to the user research report.
• Link to the expert consultation report.
• Video Demo of the updated prototype, showcasing the incorporated improvements.
• Link to the project documentation.

Finalization and Close-out (Month 9)

Milestone Outputs:

• The finalized version of the high-level prototype.
• A comprehensive close-out report summarizing the project's journey, key findings, challenges overcome, and lessons learned
• A close-out video showcasing the project

Acceptance Criteria:

• High-level prototype is finalised.
• Close-out report is publicly available and adheres to the requirements described in the Catalyst documentation.
• Close-out video is published

Evidence of Milestone Completion:

• Link to the finalized prototype
• Link to close-out report in PDF format
• Link to close-out video

[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Anamaria Kövesdi (New Mindflow) (UI/UX Design)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anamaria-k%C3%B6vesdi-354649106/

Rares Kövesdi (New Mindflow) (Project Manager, Product Owner, Writer)

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rares-k%C3%B6vesdi-551260106/

New Mindflow [https://www.newmindflow.com] are:

Artists and entrepreneurs, in the Cardano NFT space since Day 1. Creators of the Trybbles (https://www.trybbles.com/about) & Icons (https://www.newmindflow.com/works/icons-part-2) Cardano NFT projects. Cardano Project Catalyst funded proposers. Members in various Cardano & Catalyst projects, initiatives & communities for nearly 4 years.

Award-winning filmmakers, film and animation directors, app and game developers.

In January 2021 they moved into the web3 economy granting new life to one of their projects in the form of an NFT collection on Cardano.

Since then they have released multiple art NFT collections on Cardano, and have been involved in multiple NFT and Cardano related groups and organisations, most notably being core members of the NFT Guild (https://www.nft-guild.io/).

In addition New Mindflow are the authors of the Cardano NFT Guides (https://www.nft-guild.io/cardano-nft-guides), the most prominent source of knowledge about everything NFTs on Cardano. 

This project will also employ the services of one (or multiple) legal consultant(s) specializing in intellectual property rights, as well as a technical consultant with proven experience in implementing ZKPs and/or working with privacy-focused blockchains like Midnight.

In addition we will employ a Cardano-focused developer, in collaboration with whom we will build the prototype.

As a result of our extensive familiarity with the Cardano ecosystem, and our connections in the community, we don’t foresee any challenges in the recruitment for these roles.

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Legal Consultancy - Consultation with IP law experts to ensure compliance throughout the project.

20,000

Technical Consultant - Specialized expertise for privacy preserving technology implementation.

20,000

Research - Conducting in-depth research on IP management systems and user needs, including surveys and interviews.

15,000

UI/UX Design - Creating wireframes, mockups, and ensuring a user-friendly experience for the prototype UI.

15,000

Prototype Development - Building the high-level prototype.

40,000

Documentation - Creating comprehensive documentation detailing technical specifications, legal aspects, and project impact.

5,000

Technical Writer - Preparing a clear and concise privacy preserving technology (ZKPs/Midnight) architecture report.

5,000

Software & Tools - Licenses for design software, and any other software tools required by the project.

5,000

Project Management - Coordinating project activities, ensuring milestones are met, and managing communication.

10,000

Administration - General administrative costs.

5,000

Contingency Budget

10,000

Total : 150,000

The budget estimate in spreadsheet format is available here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_6hVDGihjoD75PaW8w2-jMqrUvpcjsV5r9kJE3y9hVE/edit?usp=sharing

[VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The project tackles a significant challenge in the creative industry – the lack of a secure, efficient, and private system for managing intellectual property rights. By providing a solution on Cardano, we enhance the platform's utility and attract a broader range of users and use cases.

The project will utilize Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) and/or Midnight, cutting-edge cryptographic technologies, to ensure privacy and selective disclosure of IP ownership. This positions Cardano at the forefront of innovation in the blockchain space and demonstrates its ability to support complex, privacy-focused applications.

By empowering creators to protect and manage their IP rights effectively, the project fosters a more vibrant and equitable creative ecosystem on Cardano. This attracts talent, encourages innovation, and drives the development of new creative assets and applications on the platform.

The project's successful implementation will showcase Cardano's capabilities beyond DeFi, attracting a wider audience of creators, IP stakeholders, and technology enthusiasts.

All these, and more, are reasons why our project represents great value for money for the Cardano ecosystem.

The budget breakdown provides a clear and transparent overview of all cost components, justifying each expense in relation to its contribution to the project's success. Consultant fees (legal and technical) are based on competitive market rates for experienced professionals in their respective fields. Research, design, and development costs are aligned with industry standards for similar projects, considering the complexity and scope of the prototype.