Verifying provenance of digital content

Embodiments regard determining provenance of digital content. A method of determining the provenance of digital content can include receiving, at processing circuitry, edited digital content and data indicating an entity that edited source digital content to generate the edited digital content, the source digital content, and a destination of the edited digital content, generating, by the processing circuitry, additional data detailing an edit history of the edited digital content, the additional data indicating the entity, an edit identification uniquely identifying the additional data in a ledger, the source digital content, and the destination of the edited digital content, and generating a request to cause the additional data to be stored in the ledger, the ledger operable to be queried so that a user can determine an authenticity of the edited digital content based on the additional data of an edit chain returned in response to a query.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Some embodiments pertain to verifying data authenticity. Authenticity can be verified after editing, transforming, re-encoding, distributing, or the like. Some embodiments pertain to reconstructing an original of the content.

BACKGROUND

A current digital content consumption environment relies almost entirely on a reader trusting that consumed digital content is accurate. The reader can trust that video or other digital content is authentic. The reader can trust that a quote, clip, or other content in the video were used in the context faithful to the original content or not altered in a way as to be misleading. While this approach is appropriate and effective when all the participants in the media ecosystem have benign intent, it is fragile in the face of adversarial action, such as an influence operation by foreign intelligence agencies, intentionally misleading coverage, or even unintentionally false coverage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present inventors have recognized, among other things, that improvements to verifying the provenance of digital content can be beneficial. If a media outlet or other digital content provider chooses to use a provenance or attestation tracking system, such as is provided by embodiments of the disclosure, the digital content provider can prove to any interested party that the media provided has a “clean” editing history, it accurately represents an event as it took place, and the digital content accurately represents the context in which the event took place. Media companies or other digital content providers that choose to use such a provenance system can assert a higher level of credibility, while a digital content consumer can choose to ignore or give less credence to entities or digital content that is not part of such a system.

Embodiments can provide a means for proving authenticity or reconstructing original digital content, even as it is edited, transformed, re-encoded, distributed, or a combination thereof. Embodiments can provide a mechanism to reconstruct the original digital content. Embodiments can provide a controlled editing environment that can preserve the history of the digital content over time. By providing this kind of traceability for content, an entity, such as a news outlet, celebrity, podcaster, news anchor, or other digital content provider, can attest to the veracity of their publications, prove that a quote was used in context, prevent claims of misuse of video footage, or otherwise provide provenance to their content.

The technology of embodiments can be built into a camera, editing software, a distribution mechanism, or the like. Embodiments can automate a provenance and attestation process. In addition, using techniques such as watermarking, media can carry their own attestation information that can be verified against a distributed ledger.

Given the prevalence of deep fakes, misleading video edits, and “fake news”, a social media environment or other digital content consumption vehicle can benefit from a way to prove that a video recording (for example) is authentic (that is, a recording of an event that actually occurred) or represented in the appropriate context (e.g., as a part of a larger speech given on a particular day). By using a distributed ledger, specialized plugins for editing software, or the like, each step of the editing process can be verified and linked back to a source digital content. Each editing stage can be published to a distributed ledger, such as can include a blockchain or a blockchain like structure. The ledger can provide a means for attestation without providing the actual digital content. The ledger can include cryptographic hashes to aid in the attestation. The ledger can be queried so that a digital content consumer can determine the provenance of a particular content item. Given the edit chain of the content item, the provenance of each portion of the digital content item can be discerned.

FIG. 1illustrates, by way of example, a diagram of an embodiment of generating edited digital content. In the embodiment ofFIG. 1, original digital content102,104is divided into portions108A,108B,108C,108D,108E,108F,108G, and108H, and110A,110B,110C,110D, and110E, respectively and some of the portions108B,108E,108F,110B, and110D are used in edited digital content106.

The original digital content102,104and the edited digital content106can include text, an image, video, video clip, link (Uniform Resource Locator (URL) link, content link, hyperlink, or the like), rich text, or the like. The original digital content102,104and edited digital content106can be part a blog, book, ebook, white paper, dissertation, news article, image, vlog, advertisement, show, program, or the like.

In general, original digital content102,104can be generated by an entity, such as a user, company, organization, government, or the like. The original digital content102,104is then used, at least partly, in edited digital content106. The edited digital content106can include one or more of the portions108A-108H,110A-110E and combine them to form the edited digital content106. The edited digital content106can alter a portion, use the portion in such a manner as to remove context or change the meaning of the portion, re-encode the portion into a different format, use the portion as is, augment or amend the portion, or the like. Thus, the edited digital content106can include a misleading or false representation of a portion108A-108H,110A-110E of the original digital content102,104.

The misleading or false representation can harm the credibility of the author of the edited digital content112. The misleading or false representation can damage the public understanding of what actually happened in an event, harm the credibility of an entity included in the original content102,104, deepen a partisan divide, bias a consumer's opinion of the edited digital content106, or the like.

Embodiments can help overcome one or more of the issues associated with the misleading or false representations. Embodiments can verify the veracity of the edited digital content106such as by providing provenance of the edited digital content. The verification can inform a consumer as to whether to trust the edited digital content106. The verification can indicate which portions of the edited digital content106are un-modified, modified, re-encoded, or the like. The verification can indicate an origin of one or more portions of the edited digital content106and a chain of custody from the origin of the portion to the use in the edited digital content106.

Portions of the edited digital content106can have varying pasts. For example, a first portion of the edited digital content106can be from video and audio originating from a mobile device filming on-scene of an event. That on-scene portion can be re-encoded and uploaded to social media. That re-encoded portion from social media can then be re-mastered to help reduce background noise in the first portion. The re-mastered version can then be altered, such as by clipping a smaller portion therefrom. That clip can then be used in the edited digital content106, encoded in another format. However, a consumer of the edited digital content106will have a very difficult time discerning the origin of the first portion. With this difficulty of discerning veracity of the first portion, and in combination with the other portions of the edited digital content, it can be impractical for a user to verify the veracity of the edited digital content106. A ledger222of additional data220(seeFIG. 2) can provide provenance of the edited digital content106that can be used to determine the veracity of the edited digital content106.

Embodiments herein provide an ability to verify the veracity of digital content, such as to help overcome problems of digital content previously discussed. The embodiments can do this, at least in part, using content metadata or other additional data. The additional data can provide a consumer of digital content an ability to trace content they consume back to its origin(s). The additional data can indicate to the consumer an edit chain of the digital content. The edit chain can indicate an identity of a prior editor, an origin of the content the editor worked from, a tool used to perform the editing, a date or range of dates over which the editor made the edits, a location in the content being edited the portion resides, a link to the original content, a signature (or lack thereof) attesting to the content of the additional data, or the like. Using the additional data, the consumer can easily trace the portion(s) of the digital content back to their origin(s) and determine whether there was foul play in the edit chain (e.g., taking content out of context, altering content in a manner to falsify the content, or the like), there might be foul play, or the content is true to the original. This can be indicated by a user unwilling to provide a signature somewhere in the chain or otherwise obscure their identity, a user willing to admit they altered the portion(s) and indicate the same in the chain, or somewhere in between. In some examples, an editor can produce a satire or other piece of digital content in which a user is willing to openly admit that they edited the portion(s) to be untrue to the original. These editors can be conscientious of the threat of using the content for edited serious content creation. These editors can assert a flag associated with the portion(s) to indicate that there can be an issue with the veracity of the content they generated.

FIG. 2illustrates, by way of example, a diagram of an embodiment of a system200for indicating and verifying a veracity of digital content. The system200as illustrated includes original digital content102, edited digital content106, additional data220, a ledger222, and a consumer224. In the example ofFIG. 2, portions108B,108E,108F, and108H of the original digital content102are used in edited digital content106. The portions108B,108E,108F, and108H are not necessarily subject to a same edit history. For example, the portion108B can have a different edit history than the portion108F. The portions108B,108E,108F, and108H can each have their own edit history (sometimes called an edit chain).

The edit history of each portion108B,108E,108F,112A-112D can be recorded using the additional data220. The additional data220can include an edit identification, an editor identification, edit tool(s) used to perform the edit, edit date(s), source data, which portions of the source data are used in the portion associated with the additional data220, destination digital content, a signature, a description of the digital content (e.g., entity or character in the digital content, location in the digital media, a satire or fiction flag indicating whether the content is fiction, non-fiction, or the like, etc.), publisher-specific data (e.g., an archive identifier, or some other internal tracking data), a location at which the content was previously published, among other additional data. The edit identification can uniquely identify the additional data220associated with a particular edit of a particular portion. The edit identification can include a signed or unsigned integer or float. The editor identification can uniquely indicate a consumer that performed the edit associated with the additional data220. The editor identification can include a username, email address, phone number, physical address, or the like. The edit tool(s) can indicate a software, hardware, or other tool used to perform the edit associated with the additional data220. The edit tool(s) can indicate a year, version, or the like of the edit tool(s) used. The edit date(s) can indicate a date, range or dates, a time, or the like at or around which the edits associated with the additional data220were made. The source data can indicate an edit identification associated with data form which the portion was edited. The portions can indicate which portions of the source data are used in the portion associated with the additional data220. The portions can be in terms of paragraphs, time, pages, line numbers, columns, images, tables, a combination thereof, or the like. The destination digital content can uniquely indicate the edited digital content106. The signature can indicate whether the editor associated with the editor identification is willing to attest to making the edits. The signature can include a value, such as a cryptographic hash value. The cryptographic hash value can be determined based on the edit identification, editor identification, or other additional data, data of the source digital content, or the like. The absence of a signature can indicate that the editor is not willing to attest to the changes made. In some embodiments, the additional data can indicate a type of edit made. Examples of edit types include re-encoding (e.g., an original encoding format and a destination encoding format), clipping (e.g., using only a portion of the original digital content102,104), altering audio, video, text, or other content (e.g., by enhancing, filtering, re-mastering, augmenting, amending, zooming in/out, speeding up, slowing down, or the like), quoting, or the like. The additional data220can indicate whether the digital content220is original or derivative, such as by using a binary flag.

The ledger222includes a centralized or distributed memory device. The ledger222includes the additional data220for various edited digital content106. The additional data220can be linked, such as by edit identification, source data, or destination of the additional data220. By tracing the additional data from the latest edit identification all the way to original digital content102with additional data220that indicates the data of the original digital content102is original or the authentic version of the original digital content. The data of the ledger222can be indexed or stored in an order that allows for efficient query226execution. The data of the ledger222can be associated with edit identifications in an edit chain back to all original digital content. More details regarding an example edit chain are provided inFIG. 3.

A consumer224can issue a query226to the ledger222. The query226can be for an edit chain228of digital content. The digital content being experienced by the consumer224can be original digital content102, edited digital content106, or digital content therebetween. The query226can indicate digital content that corresponds to a destination of an entry of the additional data220in the ledger220.

FIG. 3illustrates, by way of example, a diagram of an embodiment of the edit chain228downstream of an original digital content. The edit chain228as illustrated includes additional data220A,220B,220C,220D,220E,220F, and220G for digital content downstream from and including original digital content. Original digital content102can be identified by: (1) a lack of source data, (2) source data equal to destination data, (3) an original data flag set to a specified value (e.g., “1”), or the like. InFIG. 3, the additional data220A corresponds to original digital content for lack of source data.

The additional data220A-220G is linked in a chain by source data and destination data of the additional data220A-220G. For example, the destination data of the additional data220A is the source data for the additional data220D and220F. By following additional data228of the edit chain228until reaching additional data associated with original digital content, a complete history of digital content edits can be identified. The corresponding edit chain associated with a specified destination can thus be provided to a consumer224that issues a query226for an edit chain associated with a specified digital content (a destination). Note that, in the edit chain228, the destination data of the additional data220A-220G is unique for each additional data entry.

When an unattested content is introduced into an edit chain, the unattested contest can be treated as new content provided by the entity introducing it. The consume224querying the edit chain can decide whether the new content is trustworthy based on the entity who introduced it.

In a first example, assume the consumer224issues a query226for destination data “VVVVVVVV”. The ledger222can return additional data associated with edit IDs “BCBCBCBC”, “UUUUUUUU”, “NNNNNNNN”, and “ZZZZZZZZ”. This is due to the source data and destination links between additional data220A-220D.

While the additional data220A-220G is linked by source data and destination data, other links between additional data220can be used. For example, a blockchain can be used for each edit. In this blockchain, a consumer requests an edit to digital content. The edit request can be broadcast to a network of nodes that includes a full copy of the blockchain that validates the transaction. The validated transaction (edit in this case) can be combined with other transactions to create a new block in the ledger222. The block can then be added to the blockchain in a way that is permanent and unalterable. The ledger222can thus be implemented using the distributed network of nodes configured to implement the blockchain.

FIG. 4illustrates, by way of example, a diagram of an embodiment of a method400for generating an edit chain for verifying authenticity of digital content. The method400as illustrated includes receiving (at processing circuitry) edited digital content and metadata of the edited digital content, at operation402; generating (by the processing circuitry) additional data detailing an edit history of the edited digital content, at operation404; and generating a request store the additional content in a ledger, at operation406. The metadata can include data indicating one or more of (a) an entity that edited the digital content, (b) source digital content that was altered to generate the edited digital content, and (c) a destination of the edited digital content. The additional data can indicate the entity, an edit identification uniquely identifying the additional data in a ledger, the source digital content, and the destination of the edited digital content. The ledger can be operable to be queried so that a user can determine an authenticity of the edited digital content based on the additional data of an edit chain returned in response to a query.

The method400can further include determining (by the processing circuitry) a cryptographic hash value based on the edited digital content. The additional data can include the cryptographic hash value. The method400can further include, wherein the ledger includes additional data for an original digital content. The method400can further include, wherein the edited digital content includes a portion derived from at least a portion of the original digital content, wherein source digital content of the additional data for the edited digital content identifies the original digital content. The method400can further include, wherein the additional data for the edited digital content indicates a location of digital content in the original digital content used in edited digital content.

The method400can further include, wherein the additional data for the edited digital content indicates one or more edit tools used to alter the original digital content and generate the edited digital content. The method400can further include, wherein the additional data for the edited digital content indicates one or more types of edits made to the original digital content, the one or more types of edits including clipping, quoting, remastering, postprocessing, augmenting, or amending. The method400can further include receiving a query indicating destination data identifying the edited digital content and providing, in response to the query, additional data for each digital content in an edit chain of the edited digital content back to original digital content.

The method400can further include, wherein the original digital content is identified by (a) a flag indicating that it is original digital content, (b) a source digital content that matches a destination digital content in the same additional data, or (c) a source digital content that is blank or set to a specified value. The method400can further include presenting, by a display device, the edited digital content and an identification value that, when queried by a consumer by the ledger, produces an edit chain indicating additional data for each digital content in an edit chain of the edited digital content back to original digital content.

The process of recording additional data for digital content can be performed for multiple “generations” of digital content. A generation in this context means a number of edits removed from an original digital content. For example, inFIG. 3, the additional data220A corresponds to first generation content, the additional data220B,220F corresponds to second generation digital content (content that includes at least a portion of the original digital content edited only once), the additional data220E,220C,220G corresponds to third generation content (content that includes at least a portion of the second generation content), and the additional data220D corresponds to fourth generation digital content (content that includes at least a portion of the third generation digital content). Thus, a “source digital content” in the additional data can identify a previously edited file. Since the edit chain228links the source digital content to the destination digital content and includes all digital content therebetween, and can specify each region of the source digital content and the location in the destination digital content, the chain of custody can be tracked backward to the original source. Given enough edited clips, it can even be possible to reconstruct the original digital content based on the edit chain228and without access to the original digital content.

An example concept of operation is provided for illustrative purposed only. Video can be recorded by a videographer. The video can include an embedded watermark. The video data can be signed as authentic by the videographer or other entity. The video data can be delivered to an editing studio. After receiving the video data, the watermark and signature can be verified and the video can be delivered to an editor. The editor can select portions of the video to be used in a news broadcast that. The editing tools used by the editor can generate an edit record, which records the editor, the tool used, the date/time the edit took place, the cryptographic signature of the input media file(s), the portions of those input file(s) that were used, and the mapping from destination media regions back to source media regions. The edit record can be signed with a cryptographic key (or other key) to provide non-repudiation and integrity for the edit record, and also for the source and destination media files.

Data from the edit record can be registered with the ledger222, either in a public ledger that can be queried by anyone, or a federated ledger that other news media outlets share, or a private ledger for internal auditing. When the video is broadcast, hashes of the broadcast media item can be provided or calculated, and then verified with the distributed ledger by a consumer224.

When a report is disputed (e.g., the subject of a video says “I never said such a thing—it's a synthetic video!”), the media outlet can use the ledger222to prove the provenance of the disputed video clip, demonstrate the context in which the video was recorded, and prove that the video was an authentic representation of an event as it transpired. This transparency helps provide confidence in news reporting and makes it significantly more difficult for malicious actors to inject false or misleading stories into the digital content ecosystem.

FIG. 5illustrates a block diagram of an example machine1400upon which any one or more of the techniques (e.g., methodologies) discussed herein may perform. In alternative embodiments, the machine500may operate as a standalone device or may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machine500may operate in the capacity of a server machine, a client machine, or both in server-client network environments. In an example, the machine500may act as a peer machine in peer-to-peer (P2P) (or other distributed) network environment. The machine500may be, or be a part of, an Autonomous Vehicle, a communications network device, a cloud service, a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile telephone, a smart phone, a camera, digital content editing tool, or any machine capable of executing instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. For example, machine500may be or be part of the edit tool(s)108. The edit tool(s)108can include one or more components of the machine500. In some embodiments, the machine500may be configured to implement a portion of the method400or other method discussed herein. Further, while only a single machine is illustrated, the term “machine” shall also be taken to include any collection of machines that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein, such as cloud computing, software as a service (SaaS), other computer cluster configurations.

Machine (e.g., computer system)500may include a hardware processing circuitry502(e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a hardware processor core, or any combination thereof), a main memory504and a static memory506, some or all of which may communicate with each other via an interlink (e.g., bus)508. The machine500may further include a display unit510, an alphanumeric input device512(e.g., a keyboard), and a user interface (UI) navigation device514(e.g., a mouse). In an example, the display unit510, input device512and UI navigation device514may be a touch screen display. The machine500may additionally include a storage device (e.g., drive unit)516, a signal generation device518(e.g., a speaker), a network interface device520, and one or more sensors521, such as a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, compass, accelerometer, or other sensor. The machine500may include an output controller528, such as a serial (e.g., universal serial bus (USB), parallel, or other wired or wireless (e.g., infrared(IR), near field communication (NFC), etc.) connection to communicate or control one or more peripheral devices (e.g., a printer, card reader, etc.).

The storage device516may include a machine readable medium522on which is stored one or more sets of data structures or instructions524(e.g., software) embodying or utilized by any one or more of the techniques or functions described herein. The instructions524may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory504, within static memory506, or within the hardware processing circuitry502during execution thereof by the machine500. In an example, one or any combination of the hardware processing circuitry502, the main memory504, the static memory506, or the storage device516may constitute machine readable media.

Example 1 includes a method comprising receiving, at processing circuitry, edited digital content and data indicating (a) an entity that edited source digital content to generate the edited digital content, (b) the source digital content that was altered to generate the edited digital content, and (c) a destination of the edited digital content, generating, by the processing circuitry, additional data detailing an edit history of the edited digital content, the additional data indicating the entity, an edit identification uniquely identifying an entry in a ledger, the source digital content, and the destination digital content, and generating a request to cause the additional data to be stored in the ledger, the ledger operable to be queried so that a user can determine an authenticity of the edited digital content based on the additional data of an edit chain returned in response to a query.

In Example 2, Example 1 further includes determining, by the processing circuitry, a cryptographic hash value based on the edited digital content and wherein the additional data includes the cryptographic hash value.

In Example 3, at least one of Examples 1-2 further includes, wherein the ledger includes additional data for an original digital content, wherein the edited digital content includes a portion derived from at least a portion of the original digital content, wherein source digital content of the additional data for the edited digital content identifies the original digital content.

In Example 4, Example 3 further includes, wherein the additional data for the edited digital content indicates a location of digital content in the original digital content used in edited digital content.

In Example 5, at least one of Examples 3-4 further includes, wherein the additional data for the edited digital content indicates one or more edit tools used to alter the original digital content and generate the edited digital content.

In Example 6, at least one of Examples 3-5 further includes, wherein the additional data for the edited digital content indicates one or more types of edits made to the original digital content, the one or more types of edits including clipping, quoting, remastering, postprocessing, augmenting, or amending.

In Example 7, at least one of Examples 3-6 further includes receiving a query indicating destination data identifying the edited digital content and providing, in response to the query, additional data for each digital content in an edit chain of the edited digital content back to original digital content.

In Example 8, Example 7 further includes, wherein the original digital content is identified by (a) a flag indicating that it is original digital content, (b) a source digital content that matches a destination digital content in the same additional data, or (c) a source digital content that is blank or set to a specified value.

In Example 9, at least one of Examples 1-8 further includes presenting, by a display device, the edited digital content and an identification value that, when queried by a consumer by the ledger, produces an edit chain indicating additional data for each digital content in an edit chain of the edited digital content back to original digital content.

In Example 10 a system includes processing circuitry to receive edited digital content and data indicating (a) an entity that edited the digital content, (b) source digital content that was altered to generate the edited digital content, and (c) a destination of the edited digital content and generate additional data detailing an edit history of the digital content, the additional data indicating the entity, an edit identification uniquely identifying the edit, the source digital content, and the destination digital content and a ledger operable to be queried so that a user can determine provenance of the digital content based on the additional data of an edit chain returned in response to a query.

In Example 11, Example 10 further includes, wherein the processing circuitry is further to determine a cryptographic hash value based on the edited digital content and wherein the additional data includes the cryptographic hash value.

In Example 12, at least one of Examples 10-11 further includes, wherein the ledger includes additional data for an original digital content, wherein the edited digital content includes a portion derived from at least a portion of the original digital content, wherein source digital content of the additional data for the edited digital content identifies the original digital content.

In Example 13, Example 12 further includes, wherein the additional data for the edited digital content indicates a location of digital content in the original digital content used in edited digital content.

In Example 14, Example 13 further includes, wherein the additional data for the edited digital content indicates one or more edit tools used to alter the original digital content and generate the edited digital content.

In Example 15, at least one of Examples 13-14 further includes, wherein the additional data for the edited digital content indicates one or more types of edits made to the original digital content, the one or more types of edits including clipping, quoting, remastering, postprocessing, augmenting, or amending.

In Example 16, at least one of Examples 13-15 further includes, wherein the ledger is further to receive a query indicating destination data identifying the edited digital content and providing, in response to the query, additional data for each digital content in an edit chain of the edited digital content back to original digital content.

In Example 17, Example 16 further includes, wherein the original digital content is identified by (a) a flag indicating that it is original digital content, (b) a source digital content that matches a destination digital content in the same additional data, or (c) a source digital content that is blank or set to a specified value.

In Example 18, at least one of Examples 10-17 further includes, wherein the operations further comprise causing presentation, by a display device, of the edited digital content and an identification value that, when queried by a consumer of the ledger, produces an edit chain indicating additional data for each digital content in an edit chain of the edited digital content back to original digital content.

Example 19 includes at least one non-transitory machine-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations for verifying the provenance of digital content, the operations comprising receiving edited digital content and data indicating (a) an entity that edited the digital content, (b) source digital content that was altered to generate the edited digital content, and (c) a destination of the edited digital content, generating additional data detailing an edit history of digital content, the additional data indicating the entity, an edit identification uniquely identifying the entry in a ledger, the source digital content, and the destination digital content, and generating a request to cause the additional data to be stored in the ledger, the ledger operable to be queried so that a user can determine an authenticity of digital content based on the additional data of an edit chain returned in response to a query.

In Example 20, Example 19 further includes, wherein the operations further include determining a cryptographic hash value based on the edited digital content and wherein the additional data includes the cryptographic hash value.

In Example 21, at least one of Examples 19-20 further includes, wherein the ledger includes additional data for an original digital content, wherein the edited digital content includes a portion derived from at least a portion of the original digital content, wherein source digital content of the additional data for the edited digital content identifies the original digital content.

In Example 22, Example 21 further includes, wherein the additional data for the edited digital content indicates a location of digital content in the original digital content used in edited digital content.

In Example 23, at least one of Examples 21-22 further includes, wherein the additional data for the edited digital content indicates one or more edit tools used to alter the original digital content and generate the edited digital content.

In Example 24, at least one of Examples 21-23 further includes, wherein the additional data for the edited digital content indicates one or more types of edits made to the original digital content, the one or more types of edits including clipping, quoting, remastering, postprocessing, augmenting, or amending.

In Example 25, at least one of Examples 21-24 further includes receiving a query indicating destination data identifying the edited digital content and providing, in response to the query, additional data for each digital content in an edit chain of the edited digital content back to original digital content.

In Example 26, Example 25 further includes, wherein the original digital content is identified by (a) a flag indicating that it is original digital content, (b) a source digital content that matches a destination digital content in the same additional data, or (c) a source digital content that is blank or set to a specified value.

In Example 27, at least one of Examples 19-26 further includes wherein the operations further include causing presentation, by a display device, of the edited digital content and an identification value that, when queried by a consumer of the ledger, produces an edit chain indicating additional data for each digital content in an edit chain of the edited digital content back to original digital content.