Do screenshots affect the digital art NFT industry? (2024)

Do screenshots affect the digital art NFT industry? (1)

By CNBCTV18.comMay 26, 2022 8:35:21 PM IST (Published)

It is illegal to screenshot an NFT and pass it off as your own. It is also illegal to post it online or make a physical copy. An individual could be sued for copyright infringement or other criminal charges if they did this.

The introduction of NFTs marked a paradigm shift in the world of art. Ever since these digital artworks burst onto the scene in 2021, they have demanded astronomical price tags, with some of the most sought after NFTs selling for millions of dollars.

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NFTs are also known to trigger gas wars, where users try to outmatch each other by paying higher transaction fees to purchase a particular artwork. The gas fee itself can run into thousands of dollars in such cases.

But why go to the trouble of buying an NFT when you can simply screenshot them? After all, an NFT is nothing but a digital artwork made of pixels, just like a screenshot. Even the world's most expensive NFT, Beeple: Everydays-First 5000 Days, is available for online viewing. One could easily take a screenshot of the same and pass it off as the original, right?

Well, not really. There are many reasons you can't do that. Firstly, it is illegal to screenshot an NFT and pass it off as your own. It is also illegal to post it online or make a physical copy. You could be sued for copyright infringement or other criminal charges if you do this.

A screenshot is not the same as the original NFT:

Imagine you are at an art exhibition taking photos of all the paintings. Tomorrow, if those paintings appreciate in value, are the images you took suddenly worth something? No, they're not. It's the same thing with an NFT. A screenshot is like a picture of a painting; it's worth nothing.

"Taking a picture of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre is not exactly the same as owning a piece from Leonardo da Vinci. The same concept can be applied to NFTs for digital artwork. By taking a screenshot of an NFT, does not make you the rightful owner of the artwork," Zach, the founder of Mintable, said in his blog.

But, at the same time, it is so easy to screenshot an NFT. Just look up the NFT online, and with a click of a button, you have a copy stored on your phone. Moreover, it's an exact replica of the original, unlike a reproduction of a painting that may have a few inconsistencies.

Won't this endanger the original artwork and its creator? Just because it is illegal doesn't mean bad actors won't try and sell these screenshots to unsuspecting buyers, making thousands of dollars in the process. As such, screenshots could jeopardise the entire NFT industry, right? Well, once again, not really. Screenshots are not the Thanos of the NFT world.

Screenshots are not a problem for the NFT industry. Here's why:

Screenshots are everywhere. We all have a screenshot of the Louboutins we want to buy, Patek Philippe watches we cannot afford, and posh Lamborghinis we dream of owning. But does that diminish the value of the real deal? No, it doesn't! You can also find fakes in every industry, and NFTs are no different. You can buy a fake Everydays NFT somewhere on the internet that looks exactly like the original one. However, it won't hold the same value as the real deal.

This is because NFTs serve as proof of ownership and a certificate of authenticity. Whenever an NFT is created, details of its creator and owner are stored on the blockchain for everyone to see. Every time the NFT is traded, information about its new owner is added to the blockchain. Therefore, an original Everydays NFT can be traced back to its creator, Beeple, and will also show how the NFT changed hands before landing up with its current owner.

However, an NFT of a screenshot can only be traced back to the scammer who minted it. And while it is easy to copy the artwork, no one can copy the tech behind the NFT, the tech that proves whether or not the work is original.

Some NFTs are more than just digital artworks:

Take, for instance, the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) NFTs. When you buy these digital artworks, you also gain access to the BAYC Discord server and the merchandise store. You will also receive early access to new collections produced by the BAYC team.

Or take the VeeFriends NFTs, for instance. These digital artworks also give you access to the VeeCon, a business conference and workshop hosted by serial entrepreneur and prominent internet personality Gary Vaynerchuck. Some of the rarer NFTs from this collection also entitle owners to one-on-one meetings and mentorship sessions with Vaynerchuck. Owners can use these meetings to flesh out business ideas, seek advice on their projects, or chit-chat with Vaynerchuck.

The same cannot be said with a screenshot or an NFT of a screenshot. Therefore, the only danger screenshots pose to the NFT industry is that unsuspecting buyers might fall prey to scammers trying to sell these copies as the real deal. An easy way to avoid this is to check the metadata of the NFT using a block explorer such as Etherscan.io. This will help determine the date the NFT was created, its location, the codec used to encode it, the character's name, its rarity, and its owner.

Do screenshots affect the digital art NFT industry? (2024)

FAQs

Do screenshots affect the digital art NFT industry? ›

No, they're not. It's the same thing with an NFT. A screenshot is like a picture of a painting; it's worth nothing. "Taking a picture of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre is not exactly the same as owning a piece from Leonardo da Vinci.

Is it legal to screenshot an NFT? ›

It's completely possible to take a screenshot of an NFT and to save it for personal (not commercial) use, for example if you are conducting research on that NFT project or if you simply like the art. However, keep in mind that a screenshot of an NFT is not the same as actually owning the NFT.

Can you turn a screenshot into an NFT? ›

In fact, screenshotting NFTs is illegal if you try to sell them or pass them off as your own. There's more to an NFT than just a picture. In this article, we'll break down all the attributes of these unique digital assets and explain why you can't capture an NFT's true value with a simple screenshot.

How are NFTs affecting the art industry? ›

NFTs are changing the dynamics of copyright and ownership in the creative industry. By leveraging blockchain technology, NFTs ensure that a digital work's ownership is transparent and tamper-proof, which is particularly revolutionary for digital art, where duplication and copyright infringement are common issues.

What stops someone from screenshotting an NFT? ›

All these practices are perfectly legal. However, you cannot screenshot an NFT and sell it due to the underlying copyright and license laws. This is equal to discrediting the original creator. It simply means passing someone's work as your own, nothing but a fraud.

Do screenshots affect NFTs? ›

Those who screenshot an NFT cannot prove their ownership of the digital asset. This is what makes NFT screenshotting pointless, which is why there is no screenshot issue, at least the one that affects the NFT space in any significant way.

Why can't we just screenshot NFTs? ›

You can absolutely screenshot the image that comes with an NFT, but that's not actually what an NFT is; it's only a feature that comes with it. See, NFTs come in two parts. The image behind the NFT, which you're probably familiar with, and the code or smart contract that makes an NFT an NFT.

Can you turn digital art into NFT? ›

Select your art - you can convert paintings, digital artwork, songs and videos - almost any digital art you like - into NFTs. Choose your best work to make the most impact online. Select a blockchain - prior to converting your art into an NFT - choose a blockchain platform.

What is the most expensive NFT ever sold? ›

The most expensive NFT sold is The Merge, the NFT collection created by digital artist PAK that was sold for $91,806,516 within just 48 hours following its release on December 3, 2021, on the NFT marketplace Nifty Gateway.

What makes an asset non-fungible? ›

Non-fungible assets, on the other hand, have something unique about them that means one cannot be replaced by another. Money is another example of a fungible asset. It doesn't matter to Person A if they're repaid with a different $50 bill if Person A lends Person B a $50 bill. It's mutually substitutable.

Do artists profit from NFTs? ›

NFT creators make money every time they sell their NFTs.

Every time an NFT is purchased, the NFT creator receives a portion of the sale price and on any subsequent sales of that NFT, which essentially acts like a royalty in perpetuity that benefits the NFT creator.

How did NFTs change digital art? ›

This development has been nothing short of revolutionary. Digital artists can now attach a sense of rarity and ownership to their creations, allowing them to sell their art directly to a global audience. With NFTs, artists have the potential to earn royalties every time their work is sold or traded on NFT marketplaces.

Is there a market for NFT art? ›

Additionally, NFT markets provide more than just places to buy & sell digital art; they also serve as a gateway to a society of ardent creators and collectors. The fees you will pay as well as the type of art which is sold – does it fit your style?

Is it illegal to screenshot an NFT and use it as a profile picture? ›

As a result, general copyright laws and ownership rules prevent them from being unrightfully used. So, saving a copy of an NFT to your computer or phone for personal use isn't illegal as long as you don't resell the screenshot or pass it off as your own work.

What happens if someone uses your art as an NFT? ›

If you find out your artwork has been stolen and minted as an NFT, let the marketplace it is being sold on know. You can also use the DMCA process to have it removed from whatever website it was posted to.

What prevents an NFT from being copied? ›

Since NFTs typically come in the form of digital files, they are uniquely identifiable and thus aptly termed non-fungible. Each NFT token is a unique digital identifier that cannot be altered, copied, or divided.

Can you get sued for copying an NFT? ›

However, it's important to understand that NFTs can be subject to copyright law like any other digital asset. Therefore, to avoid copyright infringement when buying or selling NFTs, one should obtain the necessary permissions, check the authenticity of the NFT or create their original content.

Is it illegal to download an NFT? ›

Yes, anyone can download and view the image for free, but they don't own it and they can't gain any value from it without owning the NFT as well. As a collector you want as many people as possible to be downloading and enjoying the artworks that only you provably own because this is how the artwork gains value.

Is Screenshotting something illegal? ›

As such, practically anyone with an internet connection can access, take a screenshot, and share them. Therefore, unless the material was confidential or you had to apply for access, taking a screengrab shouldn't result in any legal ramifications.

Can you use NFT images? ›

Some NFT creators include certain commercial rights in their tokens, so new owners can use the image or graphic as they see fit — whether to share it on their own website or to merchandise as t-shirts.

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