Pixsy has announced that it will acquire blockchain-based copyright registration platform Binded.com, strengthening its image protection offerings for a wider community of users (terms of the transactions were not disclosed). The acquisition bolsters Pixsy’s market-leading position in image protection and gives the Binded community access to Pixsy’s full suite of copyright management tools, including Register, Monitor, Resolve, and Takedown.

The Binded community can now make use of international copyright registration and legal support, including recovering compensation and resolving infringement cases around the world with Pixsy’s network of copyright experts and partner law firms spanning North America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific.

Binded (formerly Blockai) was the first to bring blockchain-based image rights registration to its community of creatives in 2017. Since then, they have grown to over 15,000 members offering simple blockchain copyright registration. Binded planned to offer registrations with the United States Copyright Office (USCO) in the future, given it’s the tried and tested way to ensure rights are protected and damages can be recovered if copyright infringement occurs.

“We are thrilled to welcome the Binded community to the Pixsy platform and believe they will benefit from the additional rights protection and enforcement tools that Pixsy has to offer. Our service delivers the proper level of legal protection that photographers deserve, empowering them to protect their images through comprehensive copyright registration and image monitoring technology,” said Pixsy CEO, Kain Jones. “Access to legal protection and support shouldn’t be complex and expensive, and this acquisition strengthens our offering to a wider community through a robust suite of tools and services.”

Binded CEO Nathan Lands stated: “Starting off in 2017 with our mission to democratize copyright, we’ve made it easier for creatives to take back control of their work by registering their images. Our goals align perfectly with Pixsy’s mission to fight for the rights of artists, and we’re glad our users can have greater access to legal protection through Pixsy’s international network of copyright experts and law firms. We want to thank our amazing community for their support and are excited about this next chapter.”

Binded’s plans for a USCO service integrate well with Pixsy’s rollout of the first international copyright registration service for the image industry. Pixsy recently launched major improvements to its Register product, with a streamlined process that enables rights holders to register with copyright bodies across multiple legal jurisdictions in one simple form. Pixsy’s expert copyright team manage the process end-to-end, offering up to 750 images per bulk registration, a fresh interface and easy-to-use dashboard, and new integrations with the United States Copyright Office (USCO), Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO), Copyright Protection Center of China (CPCC) and Indian Copyright Office.

Recent developments in the US have meant that rights holders must have a USCO registration before they can pursue a litigation case, following a ruling in Fourth Estate Public Benefits Corp. v. Wall-Street.com.

With 68% of images being used in the US, regardless of where in the world a photographer lives, it’s important that they legally register their images with USCO to enjoy the protections and statutory damages this can afford if a case goes to litigation. When an infringement does occur, rights holders of registered images are entitled to up to US$150,000 in statutory damages per image for willful infringement.

Pixsy plans to increase its offerings to the photography industry following this acquisition, developing new image protection and copyright management features with the needs of creatives in mind. 2019 continues to be a year of growth for Pixsy, after announcing a strategic partnership with Flickr, which offers Flickr members a fully integrated end-to-end solution to monitor and protect their images with Pixsy.

Binded’s platform will close on September 30th, 2019, with users transitioning to the Pixsy platform. Pixsy will maintain current registrations made by Binded users through the blockchain. Binded users will receive more information directly by email.