Think of Amina, a smart young woman from rural Kenya, who just created a new solar-powered water purification system. Her simple invention has the potential to revolutionize her community, bringing clean, safe drinking water and saving millions of lives. Amina faces a harsh reality: she lacks the resources to navigate the complex and expensive traditional patent system. Her idea, her intellectual property, is incredibly vulnerable, ripe for exploitation by faster, larger, wealthier and more connected operators. It turns out this is the story of thousands of African innovators.

The current system is rigged. It’s a gilded cage for the well-heeled, leaving the independent innovator—especially the independent innovator from a developing nation—outside in the cold. We’ve all read the tales of great intellectual property swindled, of mom and pop businesses decimated by predatory practices from Fortune 500 behemoths. The patent system, meant to safeguard innovation, has instead turned into a weapon for suppression. Is this the innovation renaissance we’ve all been waiting for? Or just another form of neo-colonialism?

Leveling The Playing Field? Really?

You might associate them with digital art or speculative investments, but Austin Mark, an inventor from Des Moines, Iowa, sees something more: a revolutionary tool for democratizing access to intellectual property protection. His genius? To register provisional patents as NFTs on NFT marketplaces.

Think about it. For example, Amina might tokenize her patent on her solar-powered water purification system. This NFT enhances her intellectual property and provides her with ownership of her creative invention. When she lists it on a marketplace, she gets to immediately access a global pool of potential investors and supporters. This ain’t just about capital raising y’all, this is community building. It’s not just about giving Amina the power to choose her own future.

The simplicity of this system is the beauty of it. Investors are firehosing their bids at the NFT. Under Amina’s deal she locks up a set perpetual percent of future sales, establishing a royalty stream that ensures she is making money from the long term success of her invention. It’s an auction-bid-offer model, art of the possible between inventor and investor, driven by transparency and the potential for mutually assured abundance.

This isn't a silver bullet. The digital divide in internet access is truly acute on the African continent. Digital literacy rates are still too low. It doesn’t help that the legal landscape around NFTs is incredibly unclear. We can't pretend these challenges don't exist.

Crowdfunding Innovation A Pipe Dream?

These challenges are not insurmountable. To address the digital divide, we must continue to build on Federal investments by expanding community-based digital skills training programs. It’s time for our local internet providers to meet this moment and expand affordable access. Legal frameworks must be created to protect inventors and investors on NFT platforms.

Envision a vibrant, inclusive ecosystem where African inventors lift each other through collaboration, providing knowledge, resources, and technical expertise. NFT patents open avenues for creativity. They further create a dynamic and creative community of creators that produce and share their works to help develop healthy businesses and safeguard their inventions. It’s not just teaching them how to write patents, either— it’s about creating an ethos of innovation and entrepreneurship.

The potential for crowdfunding is immense. Imagine Amina launching a crowdfunding campaign for her NFT patent, reaching out to a global audience who believe in her vision. Anyone who is sick of African innovation being stifled by systemic barriers. And people who just want to be on the winning team, on the inside of something bigger, a movement that energizes African inventors and leads to widespread economic revitalization.

We need to be clear-eyed about the risks. In addition to this being a new technology, there is risk of scams/fraud associated with NFTs. By focusing on a narrow and beneficial use case, we can save intellectual property. This approach is enabling us to minimize risks and maximize the potential of this new technology for positive impact.

Empty Promise Or Real Empowerment?

Is this just another empty promise? Just the next tech fad that will underwhelm and not live up to its early promise? Or is it the real promise of African ingenuity and empowering a new generation of makers and problem solvers?

The answer, frankly, depends on us. To realize this vision, we need to be bold and fully commit to supporting our infrastructure, education systems, and legal structures. This ongoing investment is absolutely necessary to bring our vision to life. Are we prepared to provide a home for African innovation? Making the investment to get their NFT patents registered and participating in community-building efforts can go a long way.

Amina's story is not unique. There are a million other African inventors with brilliant ideas sleeping inside their heads, waiting to be set free. This should not be their fate, silenced by an inequitable and broken system that benefits the powerful. Together, let’s use NFT patents to make all NFTs more impactful for everyone. Together, we can create a better, more inclusive and more equitable innovation ecosystem.

Together, let’s make this potential renaissance a reality. Let’s support Amina and all the other African inventors! Together, there is nothing they cannot accomplish—nothing they cannot make their own destiny and create the future their communities dream of. The time to act is now. Let’s make sure we don’t allow this opportunity to slip away. Your next big innovation, the one that changes everything, could be hiding right under your nose.

  • Invest in African NFT patents: Seek out inventors who are using NFTs to protect their intellectual property and support their crowdfunding campaigns.
  • Contribute to community initiatives: Donate to organizations that are providing digital literacy training and internet access to underserved communities in Africa.
  • Spread the word: Share this article with your network and encourage others to support African innovation.

Let's turn this potential renaissance into a reality. Let's empower Amina and countless other African inventors to shape their own destinies and build a brighter future for their communities. The time to act is now. Let's not let this opportunity pass us by. The next big innovation, the one that changes the world, might just be waiting for you to discover it.