The US Patent and Trademark Office has granted patent number 10,805,263 to UKCI Holdings Limited, the registry for the new gTLD .ART. The registry patented a method to use Whois as a means to verify the authenticity of artwork. It is common knowledge that Whois records store basic information about registrants and registrars of domain names. However, specialists from UKCI Holdings Limited proposed using additional data fields to store identification information about works of art, according to the Domain Name Wire. This step is quite understandable, considering that the .ART domain by definition is addressed primarily to artists, art dealers and collectors.
Thus, if a .ART domain is registered for a specific art site, its Whois record will serve as proof of provenance. This is a key concept in the art business, and it means the history of the origin of an art object and its ownership. Provenance is a decisive factor in determining the value of works of art. Registry officials point out that the same concept can be used not only for artwork, but also for antiques, collector vintage cars, and other items.
