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Comment by bern4444 | Hacker News Reader

I'm a large doubter of Web3 and crypto in general though there is one problem space I can it can do well in:

Ownership and transfer of digital assets (though I would imagine this is better and more easily solved by web2 technologies as well by cooperation among platforms).

This could take the form of lending a friend a purchased copy of a video game, Ebook, etc.

The transfer would take place on the blockchain and could be performed regardless of platform - xbox vs playstation vs steam - Apple Books vs Kindle vs Android books etc.

Though this would require agreement by these platforms who operate these services.

But again, I don't see this really happening because these platforms have no incentive to enable sharing of digital assets over selling new copies.

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> Though this would require agreement by these platforms who operate these services.

If it requires agreement by the platforms, then how do Web3 or cryptocurrencies help the situation at all?

Isn’t this something that the companies could do on their own using their own databases at a lower cost and lower complexity, if they wanted to do it?

except those files/data has to be stored somewhere, and if server decides you don't own it, then regardless of how many NFTs you own for that data it is gone. Buying NFT is buying a referral to actual product, not even IOU.

I agree but those files are already stored somewhere - your PC, kindle, cloud account etc.

On top of which, purchasing a movie via the Google Play Store or a book via Kindle doesn't mean you actually own that digital asset, just that you have access to it (which can be revoked by the platform).

What I imagine being possible here is to transfer ownership of the pointer to that digital asset from your account to a friend's account and commit that ownership transfer on the blockchain as proof to everyone.

If you want your copy back, either you have to have your friend transfer it back, or purchase a new digital copy.

If we move more in the direction of owning digital assets, this might be a big field for block chain to solve. Though this is certainly shrinking as we move to a subscription service economy for these goods - Spotify, Stadia, etc.

TLDR I think blockchain can lead us back to full and complete ownership of digital assets outside of any platform equivalent to owning a physical copy that I can lend out and get back.

If I buy something from Google Play Store, then I'm legally entitled to it, and if Google refuses to give it to me I can make them refund the money or give me the digital asset I own via legal system. NFT has no such requirement and NFT NEEDs legal system then written paper with two parties signature is just as valid.

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