Media ownership has never been simple, but it has become increasingly misaligned with how content is created, shared, and monetized today. Rights are still tracked through static contracts, regional carve-outs, and intermediaries that slow everything down. For creators and studios operating globally, this fragmentation limits both reach and revenue.
MILC is approaching the problem from a different direction. Instead of layering new tools on top of outdated systems, the company is rebuilding the infrastructure itself. At the center of that effort sits the MILC marketplace, a live environment where media rights are treated as enforceable digital assets rather than paperwork locked in filing cabinets. It is a practical response to an industry that has moved faster than its foundations can support.
From fragmented rights to a working marketplace
For decades, media rights management has relied on parallel systems that rarely communicate. A single piece of content can carry different licensing terms across territories, platforms, and timeframes. Tracking ownership becomes a manual process. Enforcement becomes reactive. Monetization often arrives late, if it arrives at all.
The MILC marketplace removes that patchwork entirely, introducing a single, unified system where rights are issued as digital tokens. This is tied directly to legally recognized ownership. Each token carries clear metadata that defines usage, duration, and territory. Smart contracts handle execution, which removes much of the friction that slows traditional licensing deals.
This approach changes how rights move through the market. Rather than starting from zero with every deal, rights holders can use a framework that lets them license, trade, or split ownership seamlessly, even when transactions span multiple countries. Payments settle automatically. Records remain transparent. Errors caused by manual handling are reduced because the logic is embedded directly into the transaction layer.
The platform is already operational. Wallet connections, payment rails, and rights modules are live. According to company materials, MILC has secured an intellectual property library valued at approximately €30 million, with €15 million from its Series B funding allocated to scaling marketplace activity. That matters because it demonstrates execution. The marketplace exists because there is demand for a system that works in practice.
Redefining ownership and monetization for creators
Tokenization often gets framed as an abstract concept, but its impact becomes clear at the creator level. Through the MILC marketplace, a filmmaker can mint rights to a project and decide how those rights circulate. Ownership no longer has to be fully assigned upfront. It can be structured to support fundraising, partnerships, or long-term licensing strategies.
This kind of flexibility creates real opportunities for independent creators. Rather than depending solely on distributors or financiers, rights holders can unlock liquidity without giving up control. Ownership or usage rights can be packaged and licensed directly or made available to investors who actually understand the asset behind them. The outcome is a much tighter link between creative work and the value it generates.
The secondary market adds another layer. Once rights are digitized, they can be re-licensed or transferred with full visibility. Royalties flow automatically based on predefined rules. Audits become unnecessary because settlement happens on-chain. Smaller studios gain access to infrastructure previously reserved for large players, including legal teams and custom systems.
The broader market context supports this model. The global intellectual property licensing market was valued at roughly $340 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach about $580 billion by 2030. MILC’s own projections focus on a narrower segment, estimating access to an €8.2 billion addressable market by 2030 with a revenue target of €86 million by year five. The numbers point to scale without relying on unrealistic dominance.
A marketplace inside a larger media infrastructure
The marketplace does not exist in isolation. It is one component within MILC’s broader Web3 infrastructure, which spans immersive production, decentralized distribution, and emerging AI-driven workflows. Rights management becomes the connective tissue rather than a bottleneck.
This integrated approach distinguishes MILC from platforms focused solely on collectibles or virtual environments. Rights minted on the marketplace are designed to hold up in real licensing scenarios, not just digital trading contexts. That focus attracts creators, studios, and institutional participants who need certainty alongside innovation.
Founder and CEO, Hendrik Hey has made that intention clear. “MILC is the infrastructure layer where immersive content lives, evolves, and, crucially, earns. We are not just building a platform; we are architecting the protocol that will power the immersive content economies of the next decade.”
That philosophy shows in how the marketplace has been rolled out. Features are deployed when they are operational, not as speculative promises. Partnerships align with long-term use cases rather than short-term attention.
There is also a sense that this is only one chapter. The marketplace anchors MILC’s current strategy, but it is part of a broader roadmap that continues to take shape. The company has been deliberate about choosing execution over speculation. What is visible now reflects years of groundwork.
For observers paying attention, the message is subtle but clear. MILC has not finished building. The marketplace establishes the foundation. What comes next builds on that base, with further developments on the horizon.
About MILCHendrik Hey is the Founder of MILC (Media Industry Licensing Content), a pioneering company in the blockchain and metaverse space, with a strong background in media and content. MILC operates a real-life metaverse platform that serves not only the media industry but also various industrial use cases. The company also focuses on Web3 consulting, aiming to support complex real-world industries on their way into Web3. MILC is a sister company of European media giant Welt der Wunder, which Hey founded over 25 years ago. For more information, please visit https://www.milc.global