The birth of the NFT marked a major change in the art world. Although it has been around for a long time, it was not until the first boom in 2021 that the NFT keyword started to gain popularity. Since that time, we have seen many NFTs being sought after with millions of dollars in value.

In fact, many people might think that NFT art can be copied simply by taking an NFT screenshot. However, if you screenshot NFT, you are misinterpreting the meaning of NFT. In the following article, we will clarify this problem.

NFT Screenshot Is Not The Same Original NFT

In general, it is illegal to screenshot NFT and make it your own. Not only does it infringe the ownership rights of the actual author of the work, but your photo is also not considered a valid version. Therefore, your screenshot can be considered as worthless and there is nothing you can do about it. To understand this, you first need to know what NFT is and how it works. If you already know the basics of NFT & especially NFT art, you probably already know that NFT is unique because of its unique features.

What Makes NFT Unique?

Digital Ownership

The proof of authenticity that an NFT provides is one of its qualities that adds value. Anyone may copy, paste, and share any pixelized NFT, but this is useless.

The only NFT whose authenticity can be confirmed is the original, which is why it is valuable. You have complete legal ownership of your own NFT, just as you would if you had paid for and gotten the deed to a piece of real estate. Because you have the verified deed in your hands, it wouldn’t matter if a complete stranger stopped and took a picture in front of your property.

Collectability

NFTs can be very valuable because they have introduced scarcity into the global digital market, thereby increasing the collectible value of the item. Most of the expensive NFTs are presented in a unique and highly artistic way. Some NFTs are created by celebrities or brands, while others have been owned by famous people. For example, you own a pair of shoes that Messi used to wear. All of these have created a feature known as the collectible value of the NFT.

Authenticity

The authenticity of the NFT is also a significant factor to keep in mind. There are many tools on the market that help you check whether an NFT is legit or not. Basically, you can check information about the NFT, such as the token identity, the collection’s serial number, and the creator’s digital signature. Not all NFTs have this, but most of them could be checked with information disclosed by the creator.

Utility

And finally, the benefits that a particular NFT can bring to the owner. Today, NFT has also been widely used as an authentication for participating in events or fundraising, thanks to the built-in security found in blockchain-based transactions. Each NFT will have different utilities depending on the developer, and that is the advantage a copy image never has.

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What Happens If You Screenshot NFTs?

Of course, it’s easy to screenshot an NFT with a click, and you can have a snapshot of that NFT on your phone or laptop. Moreover, it’s an exact replica with a high resolution because it was taken, not simply trying to redraw the picture. However, this does not endanger the NFT in particular and the NFT space in general. But why?

Imagine that you go to the famous Louvre and take a picture of the famous Mona Lisa art. However, the Mona Lisa art is valuable and your photo is not, and that also applies to the NFT. Owning an NFT screenshot does not make you the legal owner of that NFT.

The reason is that the NFT acts as valid proof of ownership. Whenever an NFT is created, all information about its creator, owner, and transactions related to it is recorded on the blockchain. Thus, a well-known NFT can be looked up to and viewed by many people, and of course, its owner is also public. If you just take your screenshot and say you’re the owner, it’ll be hard for anyone to believe that you own it.

Conclusion

In summary, NFT screen capture is not a concern for the NFT market. Compared to other art forms, NFT has all the features that help protect itself and the copyright of the author. However, you also need to be careful with popular NFTs that are sold on the market for cheap because a lot of bad guys still use the NFT screenshot method to scam new people. The best way is to double-check the information of that NFT on the blockchain explorer. Hopefully, this article will provide enough knowledge for you to protect yourself in this market

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is it illegal if you take a screenshot of NFT?

Of course, taking a screenshot is not a problem, but if you try to copy it and make it yours in any way, it is illegal.

2. Does screenshotting NFTs devalue them?

A screenshot of an NFT does not devalue the original NFT because there are many ways for you to verify whether an NFT is original or not.

3. What happens if you copy NFTs?

You will own an NFT image with near absolute accuracy, but it does not mean that your image has the same value as the original.