July 20, 2025
Albert Einstein famously used the phrase “spooky action at a distance” to describe quantum entanglement—a phenomenon where interconnected particles influence each other instantaneously, regardless of how far apart they are. While Einstein was skeptical, this principle is now a cornerstone of quantum physics.
Today, a similar kind of interconnectedness is emerging in the business world, challenging our classical understanding of how value is created and exchanged.
Commitment to the New Paradigm
This is why I’m committed to contributing—fully and actively—to those who not only recognize the challenges we face, but who are also at the forefront of building ecosystems that deliver real, tangible value in this new paradigm. Not just ideas, but functioning, powerful examples of innovation in action.
Beyond Linear Business Models
Meanwhile, traditional players—including author organizations and collecting societies—continue to operate primarily within linear, cause-and-effect frameworks. In these outdated systems, value flows sequentially from one entity to another, often with delays and multiple intermediaries that erode both efficiency and fairness.
In the music industry, this has meant long waiting periods for creators and their representatives to receive royalties, alongside a lack of transparency for creators, copyright holders, investors, and fans. And—perhaps most critically—there’s no real guarantee that royalties actually end up in the pockets of the creators whose work has been used.
As the chair of an organization I once led bluntly put it: “It’s too expensive to implement systems that are correct (i.e., user-centric).”
Imagine a bank saying: “We’re great. The only drawback is your money might end up in someone else’s account…”
Enough About the Past…
New ecosystems are emerging—ones that reimagine value creation and flow. They function less like a simple chain and more like an entangled network. These systems integrate copyright management, investment, fan engagement, and fair payment mechanisms into a single, cohesive whole.
The components are so deeply interconnected that an action in one part of the system creates—and should create—an immediate and correlated reaction throughout the entire network.
Spooky Action in Business
Quantum-like behavior is no longer theoretical—it has real, practical implications for how modern ecosystems operate:
- Instantaneous Value Transfer When a listener supports an artist, the corresponding royalty payment is registered and can be settled for the creator within 24 hours (subject to regulatory restrictions) via smart contracts. This happens regardless of location—eliminating the months-long delays still common in the industry. It’s the business equivalent of measuring one entangled particle and instantly knowing the state of its partner.
- Non-Local Influence A copyright registration becomes a financial asset, whose value is tracked in real time. Its protection status and monetization potential are updated simultaneously across the global network. A change in one market is instantly reflected in all others—demonstrating a kind of influence that transcends geographical and platform boundaries.
- System-Wide Coherence The Fair Music Project, for example, ensures that policy and payment rules are applied consistently across the network. This creates a state of regulatory coherence, where fair compensation is not just an aspirational goal but an entangled property of every transaction within the ecosystem. The system maintains its integrity and fairness without requiring a central command—much like an entangled quantum system preserves its state.
The Technology Behind the Connections
This “spooky action” isn’t magic—it’s built on a robust technological foundation. Blockchain, artificial intelligence, and advanced data architecture enable these instantaneous correlations.
The blockchain acts as the shared medium through which these entangled relationships are established and maintained—ensuring trust and transparency without the need for unnecessary traditional intermediaries.
A New Way of Thinking
This model challenges us to rethink how we build and manage business networks. By designing for interconnectedness and real-time correlation, we can create ecosystems that are more efficient, equitable, and responsive.
The new—and already functioning—future-proof ecosystems demonstrate that the same principles that once puzzled physicists may now hold the key to shaping the next generation of digital business.
#NewInternetMedia #FairMusicProject #InternationalMusicCouncil