东京电力的众包 Power Pole 应用程序引发知识产权纠纷

东京电力公司 (TEPCO) 因一款名为“PicTrée - Grid Grab”的应用程序面临知识产权纠纷，该应用程序鼓励用户识别故障电线杆以换取奖励。据报道，该应用程序是与 Digital Entertainment Asset (DEA) 合作开发的，与全球基金会 (WEF) 现有的一款名为“Tekkon”的应用程序有着惊人的相似之处，该应用程序也促进了众包基础设施检查。据报道，世界经济论坛正在考虑对东京电力及其合作伙伴采取法律行动，而前桥市政府已撤回对 PicTrée 应用程序测试阶段的参与。

TEPCO's Crowdsourced Power Pole Inspection App Faces IP Dispute

东京电力的众包电线杆检查应用程序面临知识产权纠纷

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO), the operator of the Fukushima nuclear power plant, finds itself embroiled in a brewing intellectual property (IP) dispute over its recently launched mobile application, "PicTrée - Grid Grab: Capture the Current-." The app, developed in collaboration with Singapore-based Web3 entertainment firm Digital Entertainment Asset (DEA) and joint venture Greenway Grid Global, has drawn comparisons to the popular augmented reality game Pokémon Go.

福岛核电站的运营商东京电力控股公司 (TEPCO) 发现自己因其最近推出的移动应用程序“PicTrée - Grid Grab：Capture the Current-”卷入了一场正在酝酿的知识产权 (IP) 纠纷。该应用程序是与新加坡 Web3 娱乐公司 Digital Entertainment Asset (DEA) 和合资企业 Greenway Grid Global 合作开发的，它与流行的增强现实游戏 Pokémon Go 进行了比较。

PicTrée encourages users to explore their communities and upload images of aging public infrastructure, including utility poles, steel towers, manholes, and handholes. These contributions are rewarded with Amazon gift certificates and PlayMining's DEAPcoin ($DEP) token. The app was conceived to address a labor shortage of utility pole inspectors, exacerbated by Japan's aging population and subsequent restrictions on overtime work.

PicTrée 鼓励用户探索他们的社区并上传老化公共基础设施的图像，包括电线杆、钢塔、沙井和手孔。这些贡献将获得亚马逊礼券和 PlayMining 的 DEAPcoin ($DEP) 代币作为奖励。该应用程序旨在解决电线杆检查员的劳动力短缺问题，而日本人口老龄化和随后的加班限制加剧了这一问题。

TEPCO's "Gamified Work" model, championed by DEA founder Kozo Yamada, seeks to leverage gamification to streamline labor-intensive tasks in various industries. However, the PicTrée app has come under fire from Whole Earth Foundation (WEF), a Japanese non-profit organization, for its striking resemblance to WEF's own app, Tekkon. Released in 2022, Tekkon has partnered with other power providers and facilitated urban exploration events, garnering hundreds of participants.

由 DEA 创始人 Kozo Yamada 倡导的 TEPCO 的“游戏化工作”模式旨在利用游戏化来简化各行业的劳动密集型任务。然而，PicTrée 应用程序因与 WEF 自己的应用程序 Tekkon 惊人相似而受到日本非营利组织全球基金会 (WEF) 的批评。 Tekkon 于 2022 年发布，与其他电力提供商合作，促进了城市探索活动，吸引了数百名参与者。

Striking similarities between PicTrée and Tekkon extend beyond their shared focus on infrastructure inspection and rewards system. Both apps feature a "utility pole challenge," prompting users to photograph and submit images of these structures. According to local media reports, WEF is contemplating legal action against TEPCO and its partners.

PicTrée 和 Tekkon 之间惊人的相似之处超出了他们对基础设施检查和奖励系统的共同关注。这两款应用程序都设有“电线杆挑战”，提示用户拍摄并提交这些结构的图像。据当地媒体报道，世界经济论坛正在考虑对东京电力及其合作伙伴采取法律行动。

The Maebashi municipal government, where PicTrée was scheduled to undergo a multi-month demonstration, has withdrawn its involvement amid the IP dispute. The controversy surrounding PicTrée highlights the complexities of IP protection and the ethical implications of crowdsourcing in the digital age.

PicTrée 原定要在前桥市政府进行为期数月的示威活动，但由于知识产权纠纷，前桥市政府已撤回参与。围绕 PicTrée 的争议凸显了知识产权保护的复杂性以及数字时代众包的道德影响。

As Japan grapples with a shrinking workforce and aging infrastructure, innovative solutions are sought to maintain essential services. However, the balance between leveraging technology and respecting intellectual property rights remains a delicate one. The outcome of the PicTrée-Tekkon dispute will undoubtedly shape the future of crowdsourced inspections and gamified work models in Japan and beyond.

随着日本努力应对劳动力萎缩和基础设施老化的问题，人们寻求创新解决方案来维持基本服务。然而，利用技术和尊重知识产权之间的平衡仍然很微妙。 PicTrée-Tekkon 纠纷的结果无疑将塑造日本及其他地区众包检查和游戏化工作模式的未来。