Copyright


Markets

Chillguy Creator Threatens Legal Action as Crypto Trenches Scour TikTok

The chillguy meme has recently gained traction on platforms like TikTok and among brands. But its creator is unamused with a parody memecoin.

Chillguy. (Nayib Bukele/X)

Policy

Craig Wright Loses Bitcoin Copyright Claim in UK Court

The self-proclaimed author of the Bitcoin white paper claims Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash violate his intellectual property rights.

Craig Wright at CoinGeek Conference New York (Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for CoinGeek)

Policy

Trial Lawyer Breaks Down Legal Considerations for NFTs and Trademark Law

David Leichtman, a managing partner at law firm Leichtman Law PLLC, said what a brand is protecting “is the value of the brand,” including its name or logo. That's the key issue of the Yuga Labs lawsuit.

Bored Apes (OpenSea, modified by CoinDesk)

Web3

Hermès vs. MetaBirkins: The NFT Case That Could Have Major Trademark and Artistic Consequences

The trial between NFT artist Mason Rothschild and French luxury house Hermès came to a close on Monday after a year-long trademark battle over an NFT project inspired by the brand's famous handbag.

MetaBirkins project home page (metabirkins.com)

Opinion

Better Policy Can Turn NFTs Into an Intellectual Property Powerhouse

Diana Stern, of Palm NFT Studio, writes about copyright, trademark and other IP issues surrounding non-fungible tokens.

NFT Gallery (Cam Thompson/CoinDesk)

Layer 2

What Dance Tells Us About the Uses and Limitations of Art

NFTs may be able to help creators monetize their work, but questions of copyright and ownership have yet to give creators true ownership over their creations.

Woman Strong 1980s Abstract Fashion Model Skipping Dance Pose Pink Blue Purple Pixel Art Cube Block Voxels 3d illustration render (Getty Images)

Learn

NFTs and Intellectual Property: What Do You Actually Own?

As non-fungible token holders look for new ways to monetize their digital collectibles, creators might seek to define what collectors can and can’t do with the original artwork.

(Wikimedia Commons, modified by CoinDesk)

Finance

Most NFT Projects ‘Convey No Actual Ownership’: Galaxy Digital Research

NFTs giving token holders total ownership rights is an ambitious idea, one that's “a long way off,” Alex Thorn, head of research at Galaxy Digital, said on CoinDesk TV’s “First Mover.”

Alex Thorn, head of research at Galaxy Digital, speaks at Consensus 2022. (Shutterstock/CoinDesk)

Opinion

Should You Copyright Your NFTs?

Is a Creative Commons or commercial rights license better for the creator of a non-fungible token? It all comes down to what you are trying to build.

We all dream of an open universe where characters from our favorite NFT projects coexist. Copyright makes this goal costly and hard. (Wikimedia Commons, modified by CoinDesk.)

Opinion

The Balance Between Art and IP Theft in NFT Culture

From "Squid Game" to Olive Garden, the NFT boom is an orgy of intellectual property infractions.

A scene from the MetaBirkins project home page. (MetaBirkins)

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