The publishing industry flourished after its deep integration with digital technologies, but this integration has also highlighted the problems of traditional copyright transactions. First, copyright ownership is hard to identify under the old paradigm. The automatic acquisition principle of the copyright system leaves the rules of evidence relatively open and complicated, while the non-compulsory copyright registration has institutional defects, making it difficult to determine the copyright owner. Second, the management of copyright transactions is ineffective. The digital copyright transactions face the risks of credit deficiency and ineffective supervision in the digital era due to the diversified ways of creation, varied demands of copyright transactions and lack of information transparency. Third, the traditional paradigm makes it difficult for copyright owners to defend their rights. There are more distribution channels and ways of exploiting works in the digital era, and the lowered cost of infringement is accompanied by the increase of such cases. In the civil litigation system, the right owners are allocated the burden of proof but lack the ability to adduce evidence, which makes it hard for them to protect their copyright. Blockchain is a new database software integrated with a distributed network, cryptography, smart contract, and other technologies. Blockchain technology has certain characteristics, with the first one being information transparency. Apart from personal information for selfverification, all other information can be shared, which can promote transparency of copyright ownership and management. Second, it is tampered proof. Through hash function verification, the information is safe from distortion, which can promote the authenticity of copyright ownership. Third, it is highly traceable. Blockchain's data storage enables it to determine ownership, identify the infringer, and prove the authenticity of copyright efficiently and inexpensively. This realizes the credible deposition and efficient verification of electronic evidence and lowers the cost of the parties’ rights protection. Fourth, it can execution orders automatically based on smart contracts when the conditions are met. It has the functions of active or passive data processing, receiving, storing, sending values as well as controlling and managing various types of on-chain intelligent assets, which can reduce the frequency of defaults during copyright transaction. Through the above analysis, this paper holds that the technical advantages of blockchain are suitable for solving the problems in digital publishing. And on this basis, it illustrates on blockchain’s application scenarios and other possibilities in China’s copyright protection. First, copyright depository. Digital works are easy to create, modify, reproduce, and archive, and it is often difficult to determine the ownership of works after they have been widely circulated. Copyright depository can make up for the inadequacy of the current copyright registration system and solve the dilemma of unclear digital copyright ownership. Second, copyright transaction. Blockchain technology can help ensure the authenticity, accuracy, and continuity of transaction information, and such transparency can promote fairness and impartiality of copyright transactions and balance the benefit distribution of digital copyright. Third, copyright protection. The high efficiency, authenticity, and low cost of blockchain evidence determine its important role in digital copyright protection litigation and can protect the interests of copyright owners.
