Story Protocol, an onchain platform focused on intellectual property (IP), and OpenLedger on Thursday, Jan. 29, announced a new standard meant to let artificial intelligence (AI) systems use creative work legally and pay the people who own it.
Under the partnership, IP registered on Story Protocol can be licensed for AI training and AI-generated outputs. Meanwhile, OpenLedger – an AI-native blockchain – will enforce those licenses inside AI systems and send payments to rights holders.
The companies are also building a shared onchain standard that records who owns the work, how it can be used, and who gets paid, according to a press release viewed by The Defiant.
Growing Use & Growing Lawsuits
The announcement comes as lawsuits tied to AI continue to rise, with many AI-related court cases in 2025 centering around IP. That’s because once creative work is used by AI systems, it becomes difficult to track how the work is used or ensure creators are paid, leaving many rights holders with little recourse.
These issues are growing as the global IP market itself expands. The market, which includes digital rights and real-world data, is estimated to be worth more than $80 trillion, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization’s 2025 Global Innovation Index.
“AI cannot scale on scraped data and legal ambiguity,” said a team representative at OpenLedger. “If intelligence is becoming economic infrastructure, then intellectual property must be respected, traceable, and monetized by default. This partnership brings enforceable rights directly into the AI execution layer.”
The companies also noted that their system is designed to ensure AI models only use material they are licensed to access, with usage that can be checked after the fact. “It represents a shift from ‘train now, litigate later’ to ‘use only what you can prove you’re allowed to use’,” the release reads.
Story Protocol’s native token IP was down roughly 9% over the past 24 hours, but still posted gains over the past month, according to CoinGecko. OpenLedger’s native token OPEN is also down around 7% on the day.