Art Theft The Disturbing New Issue on NFT platforms

NFT violation plagues the art community.

The dark side of the non-fungible tokens (NFTs) market began to reveal itself after NFTs went mainstream last year. In the past, we have investigated how the NFT marketplace is rife with fraud, such as artist impersonations and insider trading. Not only have such hoaxes become a major problem for buyers hoping to acquire genuine works of art, but also for the artists themselves.

On December 18, 2021, British comic artist Liam Sharp revealed in a viral chirping that people keep stealing his art to make NFTs. The artwork in question, Minotaur, was posted on OpenSea, the largest NFT marketplace, by a user named 7D03E7 and priced at 0.0008 ETH ($3.14 at the time). To stop the flow of art theft, Sharp had to close his online gallery on the social network DeviantArt. Sharp’s situation points to a larger problem with NFTs. Many NFTs currently circulating online are the result of copyright infringement and art theft. Let’s look at some steps being taken to combat art theft in this space.

How technology deals with art theft

Blockchain technology

Since August 2021, DeviantArt and OpenSea have teamed up to develop a system that detects potential NFT violations. Those who wish to secure their artwork on the platform can submit their work to DevianArt. The system will monitor and scan public blockchains for near-identical matches with original content on DeviantArt and notify the registered artists on the platform. In the first two months of launch, 86% of the breach cases detected were confirmed as compliant.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

In addition to blockchain technology, AI also helps detect art forgeries. MarqVision, a company dedicated to fighting counterfeiting using AI, presented an AI model that helps customers deal with counterfeit NFTs. Unlike the platform established in collaboration by DeviantArt and OpenSea, the removal solution MarqVision proposes does more than identify fake NFTs. It also removes them from the market. MarqVision co-founder Mark Lee points out that their AI model can identify fake NFTs with 97% accuracy. Given that, MarqVision appears to be a comprehensive and long-term solution to art theft.

The problems associated with detecting art theft

Despite the detection system, many artists, including Sharp, still find securing their artwork challenging. Referring to his tweet, Sharp so he reported his stolen artwork each time, but his reports were “consistently ignored”. He also finds it “sad and frustrating” because DeviantArt uses flawed testing to prevent similar crimes from happening. This flawed system not only fails to do its job, but also allows Sharp to prove that he is the rightful owner of his artwork.

What’s worse, the detection tool serves no practical use other than alerting artists to potential art-stealing behavior. Simply put, the system will not recall the artwork on behalf of artists to prevent them from being stolen again.

Even if DeviantArt remembered the art, it wouldn’t accomplish much. The marketplace that the artwork was listed on would simply remove it, but it would not be removed from the blockchain itself. This is because the decentralized nature of the blockchain makes it difficult to track NFTs. The art is sold worldwide and continues to be resold, making it difficult for the artist to determine which jurisdiction to file the complaint under.

Moreover, both the people who minted these NFTs and those who buy them are anonymous. OpenSea does not require any of the sellers to provide proof of ownership or even their real name. However, artists submitting copyright claims must prove that they are the true owners of a piece. In some cases, artists do not even know how to submit a copyright claim because the NFT in question has been characterized by automated robots.

Where can artists go outside the NFT market?

While many artists manage to make money minting and selling NFTs, many more have to deal with the hassles of art theft. Artists who have their work copied and stolen as NFTs advise art enthusiasts and fans to support them in real life by commissioning them, signing up to their Patreon accounts, or purchasing their actual work from their stores.

Ironically, NFTs are supposed to be about authenticity, but NFT platforms have not tried their best to protect this core value. If NFTs are to inspire more than frustration and distress from creatives, these marketplaces need to take immediate action to improve the current system so that artists feel safe creating and sharing their work online.

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Top image courtesy of Unsplash