Skip to main content

​
The Court Engine

When someone challenges your reporting on PressChain, it doesn’t go to a platform’s trust-and-safety team. It doesn’t go to your editor. It doesn’t result in a takedown notice. It goes to the Court engine - a structured, on-chain dispute resolution process with specific claims, evidence windows, bonded jurors, and a permanent outcome.
Court replaces censorship with process. Your article is never simply removed because someone complained. The outcome of every case - verdict, evidence reviewed, integrity label - is permanently public.

​
Real Scenario: Elena’s Campaign Finance Story

Elena Santos is a political correspondent who published an investigation into improper campaign fund routing. The campaign’s legal team files a formal challenge through PressChain Court. Here’s what happens:

​
The Challenge Is Filed

The campaign’s attorney goes to court.presschain.io and files a dispute against Elena’s Capsule. They must:
  • Identify which specific claims they’re contesting (not just “the whole article is wrong”)
  • State the type of dispute (factual inaccuracy, misleading context, fabricated source)
  • Submit their initial evidence
  • Lock a dispute bond (10 PRESS) - this is forfeited if the dispute is found to be baseless
The attorney targets two specific claims:
  1. “[Confirmed] Campaign routed $84,000 through a shell LLC”
  2. “[Reporting] This violates Section 4.2 of the Campaign Finance Act”

​
Elena Receives a Summons

Elena gets an on-chain summons automatically. She has a fixed deadline to respond.
Non-response is not an option. Failing to respond by the deadline triggers automatic default judgment, bond penalties, and reputation reduction. Even a brief acknowledgment (“I’m aware and preparing my response”) is enough to avoid the non-response penalty.
Elena responds immediately: “I acknowledge the summons. I am preparing my evidence response.”

​
The Evidence Window

Both sides have a fixed window to submit evidence. Elena submits:
  • The original LLC incorporation records (archived government page)
  • Bank transfer records her source provided
  • Text of Section 4.2 with legal analysis
  • The original EPA [sic - campaign finance commission] filing
The campaign submits their rebuttal evidence. The window closes at a fixed time - no extensions.

​
Juror Selection

A panel of bonded Jurors is randomly selected from the eligible pool. These are people who have locked a Juror bond - economic commitment to showing up. They cannot refuse selection. If they don’t participate, they face bond penalties. Jurors review:
  • Elena’s original Capsule and evidence
  • The campaign’s dispute and evidence
  • The specific claims being contested

​
Deliberation and Verdict

After deliberation, jurors vote on each contested claim:
  • Claim 1 (shell LLC routing): Jurors find Elena’s evidence sufficient - claim upheld
  • Claim 2 (Section 4.2 violation): Jurors find the legal analysis overstated - claim marked misleading

​
Integrity Label Applied

The result is a permanent integrity label on Elena’s Capsule:
Partially Verified - Core financial claims confirmed. Legal analysis finding: Misleading in scope of statutory violation.
Elena’s original Capsule is labeled. She publishes a correction Capsule addressing the legal analysis. The correction goes through acceptance. The full chain is permanently visible.

​
Integrity Labels

LabelWhat It Means
VerifiedCourt confirmed the content’s accuracy
CleanNo disputes - standard canonical state
ContestedActive dispute in progress
UnresolvedCourt concluded without a clear verdict
MisleadingCourt found material inaccuracy or omission
FraudulentCourt found deliberate deception
CorrectedAuthor published an accepted correction
Retracted by AuthorAuthor-initiated retraction
Labels are permanent. They’re visible on your article page, in the Explorer, in the Press Network feed, and in the Rights Marketplace. A Verified label is actually a powerful signal - it means your journalism survived a structured challenge.

​
What To Do If You’re Challenged

1

Respond to the summons immediately

Check portal.presschain.io → Court Cases regularly. When a summons arrives, respond within 24 hours even if just to acknowledge it. The response deadline is firm.
2

Review the specific claims being disputed

The dispute targets specific structured claims. Read them carefully. This tells you exactly what you need to defend.
3

Gather targeted evidence

You don’t need to re-prove your entire article - just the disputed claims. Find every piece of evidence that directly addresses those specific assertions.
4

Submit through court.presschain.io

Submit your evidence response through the Court portal. Evidence is hash-committed. You can submit multiple items before the evidence window closes.
5

Wait for deliberation

Jurors review everything. You don’t need to do anything during this phase. If jurors have questions, you’ll receive a formal request through the court system.

​
Filing a Dispute Against Another Outlet

If you believe another canonical article is inaccurate:
  1. Visit court.presschain.io
  2. Find the Capsule ID
  3. Identify the specific claims you’re challenging
  4. Submit your evidence and dispute type
  5. Lock your dispute bond (10 PRESS)
If jurors find your dispute baseless or frivolous, your 10 PRESS bond is forfeited. This is intentional - frivolous challenges have a cost.

​
The Court Is Public

Every case, every evidence submission, every juror vote outcome, every integrity label is permanently public. You can browse the full court docket at court.presschain.io. This transparency is the foundation of trust. No case can be hidden. No verdict can be erased. The integrity record of journalism is as permanent as the journalism itself.