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Rights Are Built Into the Protocol

On most platforms, licensing your journalism means emailing someone, negotiating a number, signing a PDF, and waiting for a check. On PressChain, rights licensing is native to the protocol. Once your Capsule is canonical, it’s automatically eligible for the Rights Marketplace.
Only accepted (canonical) Capsules can be licensed. Pending or rejected Capsules are not eligible.

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Real Scenario: The Tribune’s Investigative Piece Goes National

Maya’s environmental investigation - Toxic Runoff Found Near City Wetland - was accepted on PressChain. The story has a Verified integrity label after surviving a legal challenge from the city. Three months later, a national newspaper wants to republish it.

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Without PressChain

The national paper emails The Bay Tribune’s editor. Negotiation takes a week. Someone argues about the price. A contract PDF gets signed. Payment arrives six weeks later via wire transfer. Maya gets her cut at her next paycheck - if the accounting is correct.

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With PressChain

The national paper visits rights.presschain.io. They find Maya’s Capsule. The Tribune has it listed at 500 PRESS for a Standard Commercial license. They click Purchase License, connect their PressKey, and approve the transaction. Within 2 blocks (~4 seconds):
  • 15 PRESS protocol fee is split (validators, burn, vault, foundation)
  • 485 PRESS net reaches contributor wallets:
    • Maya (70% / 7000 bps): 339.5 PRESS
    • Tribune editor (30% / 3000 bps): 145.5 PRESS
  • The national paper receives a license token proving their right to republish
  • The entire transaction is on-chain, auditable, permanently recorded

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Setting Up Rights on Your Article

1

Enable rights on your outlet

Portal → Monetization → Rights → Toggle ONSet your default license template. This applies to all new accepted Capsules automatically.
2

Choose a license type for each Capsule

After acceptance, open the Capsule in your Portal dashboard:
TypeBest For
Standard CommercialSyndication, republication in other outlets
Editorial OnlyNon-commercial editorial use - no advertising
ExclusiveOne buyer gets sole rights for a period
LoaningBuyer can sub-license to third parties
3

Set your price

Enter the PRESS amount for a single license. The Portal shows comparable sales for similar articles in the network to help you price competitively.
4

Go live on the marketplace

Your listing appears on rights.presschain.io. Buyers can find it by outlet, topic, date, and integrity label. A Verified label commands a premium - buyers trust court-validated journalism.

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Revenue Routing

Every license purchase: 
License Price: 1,000 PRESS
      │
      ├── 3% Protocol Fee (30 PRESS) routed:
      │     50% → Author/Contributors
      │     20% → Validators
      │     10% → Burn
      │     10% → Vault Operators
      │     10% → Foundation
      │
      └── 97% Net (970 PRESS) → split by shareBps:
            Author  (7000 bps): 679 PRESS
            Editor  (3000 bps): 291 PRESS
Settlement is automatic. Instant. No waiting. No middleman.

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Contributor Revenue Shares

Revenue splits are set at Capsule submission in basis points (bps), out of 10,000: 
Author:     7000 bps = 70%
Editor:     2000 bps = 20%
Researcher: 1000 bps = 10%
Total:     10000 bps = 100%
You can have up to however many contributors you need. All splits must total 10,000 bps. These splits apply to all rights revenue from the Capsule - forever - automatically, on-chain.

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Rights and Integrity Labels

LabelImpact on Licensing
VerifiedPremium pricing supported - highest buyer confidence
CleanStandard market pricing
ContestedVisible with active dispute warning
MisleadingHeavily discounted typical market pricing
FraudulentRights listing blocked pending governance review
A Verified label from surviving a court challenge is genuinely valuable in the marketplace. It signals your journalism held up under formal scrutiny.

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Viewing Your Revenue

Portal → Monetization → Settlement Reports Shows:
  • Total rights revenue per Capsule
  • Per-contributor payout breakdown
  • All settlement transactions with on-chain links
  • Active listings and pending licenses

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Practical Pricing Guide

Story TypeSuggested Range
Local news, standard reporting50–150 PRESS
Regional investigative piece200–500 PRESS
National impact investigation500–2,000 PRESS
Breaking exclusive, verified by court1,000–5,000 PRESS
These are rough market estimates. The Protocol doesn’t cap or floor your pricing - it’s entirely your call.