Well photogs don't need protection from paying customers and there are already ways to sell your photos. Where they really get screwed is when someone who's no

Well photogs don't need protection from paying customers and there are already ways to sell your photos. Where they really get screwed is when someone who's not paying uses the photo, then the 'corporate layer' sends a cease and desist or possibly a DMCA take down depending on the situation. What you're talking about is keeping honest people honest, so proof of work is just waste, a central DB and a billing system is fine for that.