- Title: World Wide Web code that changed the world up for auction as NFT
- Date: 24th June 2021
- Summary: VARIOUS OF SOURCE CODE FOR THE WORLD WIDE WEB WRITTEN BY BERNERS-LEE ON DISPLAY HORSE SCULPTURE / SOURCE CODE FOR THE WORLD WIDE WEB WRITTEN BY BERNERS-LEE ON DISPLAY SOURCE CODE FOR THE WORLD WIDE WEB WRITTEN TIM BERNERS-LEE ON DISPLAY / SIGNATURE OF BERNERS-LEE
- Embargoed: 8th July 2021 12:59
- Keywords: NFT Sotheby's Tim Berners-Lee WWW auction
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINDGOM, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, UNKNOWN LOCATION
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINDGOM, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, UNKNOWN LOCATION
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Europe
- Reuters ID: LVA009EIRGZ0N
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The original source code for the World Wide Web that was written by its inventor Tim Berners-Lee is up for sale at Sotheby's as part of a non-fungible token, with bids already shooting past $200,000 with two hours of the auction beginning on Wednesday (June 23). Berners-Lee, a London-born computer scientist, invented the World Wide Web in 1989, revolutionising the sharing and creation of information in what is seen as one of the most significant inventions since the printing press appeared in Europe in 15th Century Germany. The digitally signed Ethereum blockchain non-fungible token (NFT), a one-of-a-kind digital asset which records ownership, includes the original source code, an animated visualization, a letter written by Berners-Lee and a digital poster of the full code from the original files.
NFTs have exploded in popularity in recent months, including at auction. A digital only work by American artist Mike Winkelmann, known as Beeple, sold for nearly $70 million at Christie's in March. The files contain 9,555 lines of code including implementations of the three languages and protocols invented by Berners-Lee: HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), and URIs (Uniform Resource Identifiers). Also included are original HTML documents that instructed early web users on how to use the application.
Bids for the NFT, a way of asserting ownership of a digital asset, started at $1,000 in a standalone online auction titled "This Changed Everything" running from June 23-30.
(Production: Natalie Thomas) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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- Usage Terms/Restrictions: Footage contains computer game or software screenshots. User is responsible for obtaining additional clearances before publishing this clip.
