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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.