System and method for the validation and certification of the authenticiy of digital content

Abstract

A system (10) for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content, comprising at least one processing device (12) and at least one distributed ledger device (32), wherein the distributed ledger device (32) is integrated in a distributed ledger infrastructure and comprises a respective local copy of the distributed ledger, wherein the processing device (12) comprises acquisition means (16), configured to acquire a digital content to be certified, and a certification module (18 ), configured to generate a tracking record or block related, to the digital content and to send the tracking record or block to the distributed ledger device (32), and wherein the distributed ledger device (32) is configured, to receive the tracking record or block, to add the tracking record or block to the respective local copy of the distributed ledger, and to propagate the tracking record or block in the distributed ledger infrastructure.

Description

[0001] SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THE VALIDATION AND

[0002] CERTIFICATION OF THE AUTHENTICITY OF DIGITAL CONTENT

[0003] The present invention relates to a system and a method for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content, preferably digital content of the multimedia type, which are particularly but not exclusively useful and practical in the field of validating and certifying the authenticity of images, audio, and / or video acquired by a user by means of his / her mobile or portable computing device, for example a smartphone or tablet.

[0004] Traditionally, the official certification of physical documents, but also of digital documents (or more generally digital content), is performed by a guarantor recognized by the parties involved, for example a notary public, who is entrusted with the function of guaranteeing the validity of the aforementioned documents, for example contracts, civil legal acts and legal transactions, by attributing public faith to the same documents and to the signatures affixed to them in his presence.

[0005] The notarial act, i.e., the document drawn up by the notary public according to the formalities prescribed by law, guarantees the legitimacy of the legal transaction that it contains and has the evidentiary value of a public deed. A consequence of this is a bureaucratic procedure that has the drawbacks of requiring specific times and even considerable costs for the parties involved.

[0006] The figure of the notary public is recognized nationally and, albeit partially, also worldwide, with some exceptions and distinctions depending on the types of practice and definition. This leads to the drawback that consists of lack of uniformity of method and effectiveness in the process of certifying and notarizing a document or content.

[0007] Another known solution for certifying a document or content is a digital signature with timestamp. This known solution allows to affix a signature that univocally certifies the identity of a person and a digital time stamp that certifies the moment of validation. However, this known solution has the drawback that nothing is known about the validity of the document or content, which may have been previously created and modified or forged an indefinite number of times before the signature is affixed.

[0008] Another known certification solution, although used in the context of communications, is so-called Posta Elettronica Certificata (i.e., PEC) or certified email. This known solution allows to guarantee the integrity, authenticity and non-repudiability of sent messages. However, in this case also, like a digital signature with timestamp, this known solution has the drawback that the a priori validity of the sent message cannot be confirmed or disproved in any way.

[0009] Currently, various computer applications for certification of digital content are known which partially solve some drawbacks, but they either implement partial technologies or require external guarantors recognized by the parties involved.

[0010] For example, some of these known computer applications perform an ex-post check of the digital content using artificial intelligence algorithms, which attempt to understand whether the digital content has been modified by an editing application.

[0011] Also, for example, some of these known computer applications certify digital content by means of a blockchain, in particular by registering the digital content on the blockchain, thus being able to prove that said digital content was not created after a certain instant, and being able to create a "fingerprint" uniquely associated with the digital content. However, in this case also, like the known solutions described above, this known solution has the drawback that there is no technological guarantee as to the validity of the digital content, in particular as regards the handling of said digital content from its creation to its registration on the blockchain.

[0012] Moreover, these known computer applications do not guarantee the instantaneousness of the operation of certifying a digital content or the uniqueness and veracity of the certified digital content, in both cases due to the different times between the acquisition of the digital content and the certification of said digital content.

[0013] The aim of the present invention is to overcome the limitations of the background art set forth above by devising a system and method for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content that achieve better effects than those that can be obtained with known solutions and / or similar effects at lower cost and with a higher performance.

[0014] Within the scope of this aim, an object of the present invention is to conceive a system and a method for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content that allow to provide a reasonably robust guarantee as to the validity and trustworthiness of a certified digital content, i.e., that the digital content has not been manipulated and modified from the time of its acquisition to the time of its certification.

[0015] Another object of the present invention is to devise a system and a method for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content that allow to provide a reasonably robust guarantee that the date and time at which a digital content was acquired coincides with the date and time of the certification of the same digital content, except for any appropriately sized technical latencies.

[0016] A further object of the present invention is to conceive a system and a method for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content that allow to provide a reasonably robust guarantee of the authorship of a digital content, proving beyond reasonable doubt the ownership of said digital content for an indefinite period of time.

[0017] Moreover, an object of the present invention is to devise a system and method for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content that allow to provide a high speed and substantial immediacy of the operation of certifying a digital content.

[0018] Not least object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content that are highly reliable, relatively simple to provide, and economically competitive if compared with the background art.

[0019] This aim, as well as these and other objects that will become better apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a system for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content, comprising at least one processing device and at least one distributed ledger device, mutually connected via a telematic communication network, wherein said distributed ledger device is integrated in a distributed ledger infrastructure and comprises a respective local copy of said distributed ledger stored on a respective storage medium, wherein said processing device comprises acquisition means, configured to acquire a digital content to be certified, and a certification module, configured to generate a tracking record or block related to said digital content and to send said tracking record or block to said distributed ledger device, said generation and said sending of said tracking record or block related to said digital content being performed in a time interval that directly follows said acquisition of said digital content, and wherein said distributed ledger device is configured to receive said tracking record or block related to said digital content, to add said tracking record or block to said respective local copy of said distributed ledger, and to propagate said tracking record or block in said distributed ledger infrastructure.

[0020] The aim and objects are furthermore achieved by a method for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content, by means of at least one processing device and at least one distributed ledger device, mutually connected via a telematic communication network, wherein said distributed ledger device is integrated in a distributed ledger infrastructure and comprises a respective local copy of said distributed ledger stored on a respective storage medium, comprising the steps of:

[0021] - acquiring a digital content to be certified, by virtue of acquisition means comprised in said processing device;

[0022] - generating a tracking record or block related to said digital content and sending said tracking record or block to said distributed ledger device, by means of a certification module comprised within said processing device, said step of generating and sending said tracking record or block related to said digital content being performed in a time interval directly following said acquisition of said digital content; and

[0023] - receiving said tracking record or block related to said digital content, adding said tracking record or block to said respective local copy of said distributed ledger, and propagating said tracking record or block in said distributed ledger infrastructure via said distributed ledger device.

[0024] Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become better apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the system and method for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example with the aid of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0025] Figure 1 is a block diagram which shows schematically an embodiment of the system for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content according to the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing schematically an embodiment of the method for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content according to the present invention.

[0027] It should be noted that, within the scope of the present invention, a digital content, preferably of the multimedia type, can be an image (for example, a photograph, a screenshot, etc.), an audio (for example, an audio message, etc.), or a video (for example, a video message, a recording of a video clip, etc.). With reference to Figure 1, the system for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content according to the present invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 10, substantially comprises at least one processing device 12, operated by a user, and at least one distributed ledger device 32. Preferably, the processing device 12 is of the mobile or portable type.

[0028] The processing device 12 and the distributed ledger device 32 are mutually connected and in communication via a telematics communication network 30, such as for example the Internet.

[0029] The distributed ledger device 32 of the system 10 according to the invention is part of, and thus integrated into, a distributed infrastructure, in particular an infrastructure according to so-called Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), i.e., a decentralized and unfalsifiable digital ledger. Preferably, this distributed ledger infrastructure is of the so-called permissioned type, meaning that only approved entities can run a node to validate transactions, and thus records or blocks.

[0030] In general, distributed ledger technology defines systems that maintain, validate and extend a digital, replicated, shared and synchronized ledger among a plurality of nodes, and thus a plurality of entities, by means ofa consensus algorithm.

[0031] In most types of distributed ledger technology, for example the blockchain, there is no requirement that the nodes involved know each other's identity or trust each other, because the addition of a new record in the distributed ledger, for example a new block of the blockchain, is globally governed by the consensus algorithm to ensure consistency among the various copies of the distributed ledger. Once the addition of the new record is authorized, each node updates its local copy of the distributed ledger.

[0032] The very nature of the data structure of the distributed ledger, for example the blockchain, and of its records, for example blockchain blocks, ensures that there is no present and future manipulation of the data.

[0033] In practice, the issuing distributed ledger device 32 is one of the nodes of the distributed ledger infrastructure, and the latter is used for certification and transfer between nodes, and thus between entities, of certified digital content within the scope of the present invention.

[0034] A node is a processing device uniquely associated with one and only one approved entity, integrated into the distributed ledger infrastructure, and comprising a local copy of the distributed ledger stored on an appropriate storage medium. Each local copy of the distributed ledger comprises both certified digital content and common rules, preferably in the form of smart contracts, defined and shared at the level of the system 10 according to the invention and, consequently, at the distributed ledger infrastructure level.

[0035] The common rules, preferably comprised in the smart contract, which define the ways in which the transfer of data is performed between different entities, or rather between different nodes of the distributed ledger infrastructure, are required in order to govern the ways in which the distributed ledger infrastructure is accessed, the structure of the information exchanged when transferring collections of data aggregated at the logical level, and the operational and security criteria with which the operation is performed.

[0036] In practice, for each information flow, the entities that need to operate by means of this flow agree on the number, nomenclature and format of the data contained within the collection of data aggregated at the logical level, as well as on which criteria make a transaction, and thus a record or block, acceptable.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment, the distributed ledger is of the blockchain type and therefore the distributed ledger infrastructure is a blockchain infrastructure.

[0038] The blockchain is a data structure that operates as a ledger of transactions, and thus of records or blocks, that is extensible and immutable. As mentioned above, the blockchain is configured to be collectively maintained and extended by a network of nodes, and thus entities, among which there are no mutual trust links.

[0039] The name "blockchain" comes from the typical chain-like shape that records create because of the linking of each transaction block to the one that preceded it. In fact, each block on the blockchain contains, among other data, a cryptographic hash value of the contents of the previous block, from which one of the fundamental properties of the data structure derives: the transactions, and therefore the records or blocks, of the blockchain are irreversible since, once recorded, the data in a given block cannot be modified retroactively without altering all subsequent blocks, since a change would entail a change in the block's hash value. In fact, in the event of a change in the data of a block, in order to reestablish the link to the next block, one would have to replace in the latter the new hash value of the changed block, thus also altering the data of this block, which would acquire a new hash value, and so on.

[0040] Distributed ledger technology, in particular blockchain technology, reveals a broad range of possibilities in terms of data digitization, decentralization, disintermediation, transfer traceability, transparency, verifiability, ledger immutability and transfer programmability.

[0041] By virtue of these features, the distributed ledger, in particular the blockchain, is considered an effective alternative in terms of security, reliability, transparency and costs with respect to databases and registries managed centrally by recognized and regulated authorities (public administrations, banks, insurance companies, payment intermediaries, etc.).

[0042] The processing device 12 of the system 10 according to the invention comprises an electronic control unit 14. The electronic control unit 14 is the main functional element of the processing device 12, and for this reason it is connected to and in communication with the other elements comprised in the processing device 12. The electronic control unit 14 of the processing device 12 is provided with appropriate capabilities for computing and interfacing with the other elements of the processing device 12, and it is configured to control, monitor and coordinate the operation of the elements of the processing device 12 with which it is connected and in communication.

[0043] The processing device 12 of the system 10 according to the invention further comprises acquisition means 16. The acquisition means 16 are configured to acquire, for example as a result of one or more user-operated commands, a digital content, for example an image, audio or video, which is then to be certified.

[0044] Advantageously, by the very nature of the system 10 according to the invention, the acquisition means 16, and more generally the processing device 12, are inhibited from performing any manipulation, modification, retouching, filtering, and so on, of the acquired digital content.

[0045] Preferably, to ensure the above inhibition, the processing device 12 is configured to perform an originality and / or authenticity (in jargon not- rooted) check of said device 12.

[0046] Preferably, the acquisition means 16 are further configured to offer to the user a preview of the acquired digital content during a time interval limited to a few seconds, for example, comprised between 5 and 100 seconds depending on the type of digital content, and to allow said user to confirm or repeat the acquisition.

[0047] Preferably, the acquisition means 16 are further configured to allow the user to enter and associate a name and / or description with the acquired digital content.

[0048] In one embodiment, the acquisition means 16 comprise a camera, preferably provided with flash and / or zoom capabilities. In one embodiment, the acquisition means 16 comprise a microphone, preferably provided with volume control functionality. In one embodiment, the acquisition means 16 comprise both a camera and a microphone. The processing device 12 of the system 10 according to the invention further comprises a certification module 18. The certification module 18 is configured to certify the digital content, previously acquired via the acquisition means 16. In detail, the certification module 18 is configured to generate a tracking record or block related to the digital content to be certified, and to send this tracking record or block to the distributed ledger device 32.

[0049] It should be noted that the generation and sending of the tracking record or block related to the digital content to be certified are performed instantaneously, i.e., in a time interval that immediately follows the acquisition of said digital content. Therefore, in practice, generation date and time substantially correspond to acquisition date and time, and vice versa.

[0050] The distributed ledger device 32 is configured to receive the tracking record or block related to the digital content to be certified, to add this tracking record or block to its local copy of the distributed ledger, for example of the blockchain, and subsequently to propagate this tracking record or block in the distributed ledger infrastructure, for example in the blockchain infrastructure.

[0051] It should be noted that the addition and propagation of the tracking record or block related to the digital content in the distributed ledger are performed instantaneously, i.e., in a time interval that immediately follows the acquisition of said digital content. Therefore, in practice, certification date and time substantially correspond to acquisition date and time, and vice versa.

[0052] In short, the addition and propagation of the tracking record or block related to the digital content in the distributed ledger can also be termed electronic certification or electronic notarization of the digital content.

[0053] The addition and propagation of the tracking record or block related to the digital content in the distributed ledger makes the digital content itself substantially immutable, thus validating and certifying its authenticity.

[0054] More precisely, the addition and propagation of the tracking record or block related to the digital content in the distributed ledger allow to demonstrate that any possible modification of the original digital content was performed at a later time than the electronic certification, which, as mentioned, is performed instantaneously, i.e., in a time interval that immediately follows the acquisition of said digital content.

[0055] In practice, simplifying, the original of the digital content is tracked by means of the distributed ledger, thus achieving the effect of making this digital content substantially immutable.

[0056] Preferably, the certification module 18 is further configured to produce a watermark (also called seal), and to associate this watermark with the tracking record or block related to the digital content to be certified, before this tracking record or block is sent to the distributed ledger device 32. Therefore, the production and association of this watermark are also performed instantaneously, i.e., in a time interval that immediately follows the acquisition of the digital content.

[0057] This watermark may comprise one or more metadata items related to the same acquired digital content, for example selected from the group constituted by: date of acquisition, time of acquisition, geographical location of acquisition (detected by geolocation means included in the processing device 12), references about the author of the acquisition, etc.

[0058] Advantageously, the certification module 18 is further configured to mint an NFT (an acronym of the expression Non-Fungible Token) related to the digital content to be certified, previously acquired by virtue of the acquisition means 16, and to send this NFT to the distributed ledger device 32.

[0059] It should be noted that the minting and sending of the NET related to the digital content to be certified are performed instantaneously, i.e., in a time interval that immediately follows the acquisition of said digital content. Therefore, in practice, the minting date and time substantially correspond to the acquisition date and time, and vice versa.

[0060] Advantageously, the distributed ledger device 32 is further configured to receive the NFT related to the digital content to be certified, to add this NFT to its own local copy of the distributed ledger, for example of the blockchain, and subsequently to propagate this NFT in the distributed ledger infrastructure, for example in the blockchain infrastructure.

[0061] It should be noted that the addition and propagation of the NFT related to the digital content in the distributed ledger are performed instantaneously, i.e., in a time interval that immediately follows the acquisition of said digital content. Therefore, in practice the certification date and time substantially correspond to the acquisition date and time, and vice versa.

[0062] Similar to the above, the addition and propagation of the NFT related to the digital content in the distributed ledger makes said digital content substantially immutable, thus validating and certifying its authenticity.

[0063] Preferably, the certification module 18 is further configured to produce a watermark (also called seal), and to associate this watermark with the NFT related to the digital content to be certified, before this NFT is sent to the distributed ledger device 32. Therefore, the production and association of this watermark are also performed instantaneously, i.e., in a time interval that immediately follows the acquisition of the digital content.

[0064] This watermark may comprise one or more metadata items related to said acquired digital content, for example selected from the group constituted by: date of acquisition, time of acquisition, geographic location of acquisition (detected by geolocation means included in the processing device 12), references about the author of the acquisition, etc.

[0065] In general, an NFT or non-fungible token is a special type of token, a container of information uniquely distinguishable from similar ones, i.e., not fungible with each other, written on a distributed ledger or blockchain, of a unique asset (digital or physical). Non-fungible tokens are not mutually interchangeable and cannot be reproduced in exactly identical and interchangeable copies. More precisely, creating a perfect overlap between two tokens is possible in terms of information content, i.e., of data paired with the token and numeric identifier, but this is only possible if the two tokens are issued at different smart contracts (or other distributed ledger or blockchain logic). For this reason, non-fungible tokens can be said to be unique elements.

[0066] In one embodiment, the system 10 according to the invention further comprises a time synchronization device (not shown). In practice, the time synchronization device is an accredited remote information source, for example governmental or scientific. The processing device 12 and the time synchronization device are mutually connected and in communication via the telematic communication network 30, such as for example the Internet.

[0067] Preferably, the certification module 18 is further configured to synchronize the internal clock or timer of the processing device 12 by querying the time synchronization device, so that the date and time comprised in one of said watermarks are the actual date and time.

[0068] In other words, preferably, the certification module 18 is further configured to compare the date and time of the internal clock or timer of the processing device 12 with the date and time of the time synchronization device, and to correct any discrepancy between these dates and times, so that the date and time comprised in one of the above-mentioned watermarks are the actual date and time.

[0069] In any case, this time synchronization is performed prior to the generation of one the above-mentioned watermarks. For example, this time synchronization can be performed: periodically (for example, every N seconds), before the acquisition of the digital content to be certified (synchronization — > acquisition — > record or block generation — > watermark production), before the generation of the tracking record or block related to the same digital content (acquisition — > synchronization — > record or block generation — > watermark production), or prior to the generation of one of the watermarks mentioned above (acquisition — > record or block generation — > synchronization — > watermark production).

[0070] For example, the internal clock or timer of the processing device 12 may be of the RTC type (an acronym of the expression Real-Time Clock).

[0071] Advantageously, the processing device 12 of the system 10 according to the invention further comprises a QR code creation module 20. The QR code creation module 20 is configured to create a QR code (an acronym of the expression Quick Response code) associated with the certified digital content, wherein said QR code references the tracking record or block related to the certified digital content and / or to the NFT related to said certified digital content. Obviously, the QR code created by the module 20 mentioned above is unique.

[0072] In particular, the QR code references, for example by means of a web link, a summary screen of the tracking record or block and / or of the NFT related to the certified digital content, i.e., a screen that displays the certified digital content itself, the metadata related to it, and all the other information associated with it, including the hash value of the tracking record or block and / or of the NFT that performed the certification.

[0073] Finally, the processing device 12 of the system 10 according to the invention further comprises transceiving means 22. Said transceiving means 22 are configured to send the tracking record or block related to the certified digital content, previously generated by the certification module 18, toward the distributed ledger device 32. Advantageously, the transceiving means 22 are further configured to send the NFT related to the certified digital content, previously minted by the certification module 18, toward the distributed ledger device 32.

[0074] Similarly, the distributed ledger device 32 of the system 10 according to the invention comprises transceiving means (not shown). These transceiving means are configured to receive the tracking record or block related to the certified digital content, previously generated by the certification module 18, that arrives from the processing device 12. Advantageously, the transceiving means are further configured to receive the NFT related to the certified digital content, previously minted by the certification module 18, that arrives from the processing device 12.

[0075] With reference to Figure 2, the method for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content according to the present invention, and thus the operation of the system 10 for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content described above, substantially comprise the steps described below.

[0076] Initially, in step 42, the acquisition means 16 of the processing device 12 acquire, for example as a result of one or more user-operated commands, a digital content, such as an image, audio or video, which is then to be certified.

[0077] Preferably, again in step 42, the acquisition means 16 offer the user a preview of the acquired digital content, during a time interval limited to a few seconds, for example comprised between 5 and 100 seconds depending on the type of digital content, and allow said user to confirm or repeat the acquisition.

[0078] Preferably, again in step 42, the acquisition means 16 allow the user to enter and associate a name and / or description with the acquired digital content.

[0079] In step 44, the certification module 18 of the processing device 12 certifies the digital content, previously acquired in step 42. In detail, the certification module 18 generates a tracking record or block related to the digital content to be certified, and sends this tracking record or block to the distributed ledger device 32.

[0080] Again in step 44, the distributed ledger device 32 receives the tracking record or block related to the digital content to be certified, adds this tracking record or block to its local copy of the distributed ledger, for example of the blockchain, and then propagates this tracking record or block into the distributed ledger infrastructure, for example into the blockchain infrastructure.

[0081] Preferably, still in step 44, the certification module 18 produces a watermark (also called seal), and associates this watermark with the tracking record or block related to the digital content to be certified, before this tracking record or block is sent to the distributed ledger device 32. Therefore, the production and association of this watermark are also performed instantaneously, that is, in a time interval that immediately follows the acquisition of the digital content.

[0082] Advantageously, in step 46, the certification module 18 mints an NFT (acronym of the expression Non-Fungible Token) related to the digital content to be certified, which was previously acquired in step 42, and sends this NFT to the distributed ledger device 32.

[0083] Advantageously, still in step 46, the distributed ledger device 32 receives the NFT related to the digital content to be certified, adds this NFT to its local copy of the distributed ledger, for example of the blockchain, and then propagates this NFT into the distributed ledger infrastructure, for example into the blockchain infrastructure.

[0084] Preferably, still in step 46, the certification module 18 produces a watermark (also called seal) and associates this watermark with the NFT related to the digital content to be certified, before said NFT is sent to the distributed ledger device 32. Therefore, the production and association of this watermark are also performed instantaneously, i.e., in a time interval that immediately follows the acquisition of the digital content.

[0085] Preferably, still in step 44 and / or 46, the certification module 18 synchronizes the internal clock or timer of the processing device 12, by querying the time synchronization device, so that the date and time comprised in one of the above watermarks are the actual date and time. In other words, preferably, again in step 44 and / or 46, the certification module 18 compares the date and time of the internal clock or timer of the processing device 12 with the date and time of the time synchronization device, and corrects any discrepancy between these dates and times, so that the date and time comprised in one of the above-mentioned watermarks are the actual date and time.

[0086] Finally, advantageously, in step 48 the QR code creation module 20 of the processing device 12 creates a QR code (acronym of Quick Response code) associated with the certified digital content, where this QR code links back to the tracking record or block related to the certified digital content and / or to the NET related to said certified digital content. Obviously, the QR code created in step 48 above is unique.

[0087] It has been found in practice that the present invention fully achieves the intended aim and objects. In particular, it has been shown that the system and method for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content thus conceived allow to overcome the qualitative limitations of the background art, since they allow to achieve better effects than those obtainable with known solutions and / or similar effects at a lower cost and with higher performance.

[0088] The system and method for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content according to the present invention give a greater degree of certainty and verifiability than known solutions, which for example use the metadata information of the digital content, guaranteeing its uniqueness and the impossibility of modification or manipulation both at the time of acquisition and at any future time.

[0089] In practice, by virtue of the system and method for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content according to the present invention, the user who has acquired a digital content, for example, an image, audio or video, can indisputably prove every data item related to this digital content and can identify any possible subsequent manipulation. An advantage of the system and method for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content according to the present invention resides in that they allow to provide a reasonably robust guarantee of the validity and trustworthiness of a certified digital content, i.e., that the digital content has not been manipulated and modified from the moment of its acquisition to the moment of its certification.

[0090] This guarantee can be useful both in a legal dispute, where the certified digital content is used in the form of evidentiary element, and in a public context, for example on social networks.

[0091] Another advantage of the system and method for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content according to the present invention resides in that they allow to provide reasonably robust guarantee that the date and time at which a digital content was acquired coincides with the date and time of certification of said digital content, except for any appropriately sized technical latencies.

[0092] A further advantage of the system and method for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content according to the present invention is that they allow to provide reasonably robust guarantee of the authorship of a digital content, proving beyond all reasonable doubt the ownership of said digital content for an indefinite period of time.

[0093] Moreover, an advantage of the system and method for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content according to the present invention resides in that they allow to offer high speed and substantial immediacy of the operation of certifying a digital content.

[0094] The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the accompanying claims.

[0095] Except where otherwise indicated, the various embodiments described above may be combined to provide additional and / or alternative embodiment. In addition, the present description covers combinations of variations and preferred embodiments that are not explicitly described.

[0096] All the details may furthermore be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.

[0097] In practice, the materials used, so long as they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to the requirements and the state of the art.

[0098] To conclude, the scope of the protection of the claims must not be limited by the illustrations or preferred embodiments shown in the description by way of example, but rather the claims must comprise all the characteristics of patentable novelty that reside in the present invention, including all the characteristics that would be treated as equivalents by the person skilled in the art.

[0099] The disclosures in Italian Patent Application no. 102023000012651, from which this application claims priority, are incorporated herein by reference.

[0100] Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A system (10) for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content, comprising at least one processing device (12) and at least one distributed ledger device (32), mutually connected via a telematic communication network (30), wherein said distributed ledger device (32) is integrated in a distributed ledger infrastructure and comprises a respective local copy of said distributed ledger stored on a respective storage medium, wherein said processing device (12) comprises acquisition means (16), configured to acquire a digital content to be certified, and a certification module (18), configured to generate a tracking record or block related to said digital content and to send said tracking record or block to said distributed ledger device (32), said generation and said sending of said tracking record or block related to said digital content being performed in a time interval that directly follows said acquisition of said digital content, and wherein said distributed ledger device (32) is configured to receive said tracking record or block related to said digital content, to add said tracking record or block to said respective local copy of said distributed ledger, and to propagate said tracking record or block in said distributed ledger infrastructure.

2. The system (10) for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content according to claim 1, wherein said certification module (18) of said processing device (12) is further configured to produce a watermark and to associate said watermark with said tracking record or block related to said digital content.

3. The system (10) for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said certification module (18) of said processing device (12) is further configured to mint an NET related to said digital content and to send saidNFT to said distributed ledger device (32), said minting and said sending of said NFT related to said digital content being performed in a time interval that directly follows said acquisition of said digital content, and wherein said distributed ledger device (32) is further configured to receive said NFT related to said digital content, to add said NFT to said respective local copy of said distributed ledger, and to propagate said NFT in said distributed ledger infrastructure.

4. The system (10) for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content according to claim 3, wherein said certification module (18) of said processing device (12) is further configured to produce a watermark and to associate said watermark with said NFT related to said digital content.

5. The system (10) for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content according to claim 2 or 4, furthermore comprising a time synchronization device, said processing device (12) and said time synchronization device being mutually connected via said telematic communication network (30), wherein said certification module (18) of said processing device (12) is further configured to synchronize an internal clock or timer of said processing device (12), by querying said time synchronization device, so that the date and time comprised in said watermark are the actual date and time.

6. The system (10) for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said processing device (12) furthermore comprises a QR code creation module (20) which is configured to create a QR code associated with said digital content and links back to said tracking record or block and / or to said NFT related to said digital content.

7. The system (10) for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content according to any one of the preceding claims,wherein said acquisition means (16) of said processing device (12) are inhibited from performing any manipulation or modification of said digital content.

8. The system (10) for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said distributed ledger is of the blockchain type and said distributed ledger infrastructure is a blockchain infrastructure.

9. The system (10) for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said processing device (12) is of the mobile or portable type.

10. A method for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content by means of at least one processing device (12) and at least one distributed ledger device (32), mutually connected via a telematic communication network (30), wherein said distributed ledger device (32) is integrated in a distributed ledger infrastructure and comprises a respective local copy of said distributed ledger stored on a respective storage medium, comprising the steps of:- acquiring (42) a digital content to be certified, by virtue of acquisition means (16) comprised in said processing device (12);- generating (44) a tracking record or block related to said digital content and sending said tracking record or block to said distributed ledger device (32), by means of a certification module (18) comprised within said processing device (12), said step of generating (44) and sending said tracking record or block related to said digital content being performed in a time interval directly following said acquisition of said digital content; and- receiving said tracking record or block related to said digital content, adding (44) said tracking record or block to said respective local copy of said distributed ledger, and propagating (44) said tracking record or block in said distributed ledger infrastructure via said distributed ledgerdevice (32).

11. The method for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content according to claim 10, further comprising the step of producing a watermark and associating said watermark with said tracking record or block related to said digital content, via said certification module (18) of said processing device (12).

12. The method for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content according to claim 10 or 11, further comprising the steps of:- minting (46) an NFT related to said digital content and sending said NFT to said distributed ledger device (32), via said certification module (18) of said processing device (12), said step of minting (46) and sending said NFT related to said digital content being performed in a time interval directly following said acquisition of said digital content; and- receiving said NFT related to said digital content, adding (46) said NFT to said respective local copy of said distributed ledger, and propagating (46) said NFT in said distributed ledger infrastructure, by means of said distributed ledger device (32).

13. The method for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content according to claim 12, further comprising the step of producing a watermark and associating said watermark with said NFT related to said digital content, via said certification module (18) of said processing device (12).

14. The method for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content according to claim 11 or 13, further comprising the step of synchronizing an internal clock or timer of said processing device (12), querying a time synchronization device connected to said processing device (12) via said telematic communication network (30), via said certification module (18) of said processing device (12), so that the date and time comprised in said watermark are the actual date and time.

15. The method for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content according to any one of claims 10 to 14, further comprising the step of creating (48) a QR code which is associated with said digital content and links back to said tracking record or block and / or to said NFT related to said digital content, by means of a QR code creation module (20) comprised in said processing device (12).

16. The method for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content according to any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein said acquisition means (16) of said processing device (12) are inhibited from performing any manipulation or modification of said digital content.

17. The method for the validation and certification of the authenticity of digital content according to any one of claims 10 to 16, wherein said distributed ledger is of the blockchain type and said distributed ledger infrastructure is a blockchain infrastructure.

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