So you've been ripped off.
Someone stole your artwork and, without your permission they created an un-fungible token. The same fraudster is selling NFTs of your stolen artwork and earning lots of money. This is a sad and common occurrence, and thankfully you don't have to be completely unrepentant - although the removal of your stolen artwork from huge NFT exchanges like OpenSea and Rarible isn't going to be easy.
Welcome to the other side of the much-hyped NFT coin, where fake works and plagiarized artwork dominate the $44 billion market. The scourge is so prevalent, in fact, that in January of 2022 the self-described "world's largest and the first NFT marketplace," OpenSea, admitted that more than 80 percent of NFTs created using its free minting tool "were plagiarized works as well as fake collections and spam."
Artists are well-aware of the less glamorous side of NFTs. Twitter accounts that expose NFTs of stolen artwork (like @NFTtheft) have thousands of followers and draw attention to this scam.
A Bay Area artist goes by the name "bor" and manages the twitter account @NFTtheft. They have stated via an email that they prefer to remain anonymous because of the intimidation directed at artists who are against non-fungible tokens.
Bor said that plagiarism is a recurring problem in the NFT space and will always be a part of it. "As long as anyone can mint anything while remaining pseudonymous on an unregulated/decentralized technology, plagiarism is going to be a big problem."
It's an issue that marketplaces, where people list, buy, and sell NFTs are aware of. The steps they take to mitigate it, however, frequently fail to meet the requirements. Both OpenSea and Rarible, an OpenSea competitor, have established procedures for reporting stolen work , but the artists themselves often insist that reporting theft of artwork isn't always an easy process.
Many artists view it as their only option.
OpenSea How do I report a stolen NFT
Go to the Help Center.
Click on the "How can you assist?" drop-down menu. Drop-down menu, choose "Intellectual Property Rights Takedown/Violation Request."
Enter your email address.
In the subject line, enter "fraudulent content."
In the "Description" section In the "Description" section, provide as much information as you can to show that an OpenSea listing is just your artwork that you have posted without permission (include hyperlinks). Explain the images that you've included (see Step 6 below).
Include screenshots under "Attachments" of both the places your art is actually located online (presumably someone copied it before posting it on OpenSea). Also, include the NFT listings.
Hit "Submit."
OpenSea cannot guarantee any result or guarantee that the company will get back with you.
"When you submit a report, our team will review the collection and determine if it is in violation of our Terms of Service. If so, we will remove it," says the company's Help Center. "Please keep in mind that following resolution your ticket will be closed, so you might not hear back from us directly."
How to report a stolen NFT via Rarible
Rarible like OpenSea has a reporting system that allows users to report stolen artwork on its marketplace as NFTs available for sale. Rarible lets you submit stolen artwork as NFTs.
Once you've found the NFT you're looking for, click the three dots that are located in the upper-right corner.
Select the "Report" option.
Write that the work was stolen and provide as much detail as is possible to support your claim.
Click "Report".
Importantly, Rarible does not promise it will delist the NFT in question. Rarible doesn't even guarantee it will respond to you - making artists' frustration all too acceptable.
How do you stop plagiarized NFTs
Despite artists being able to report stolen NFTs directly on marketplaces that list them for sale, the problem of thieves profiting from the work of illustrators as well as designers, musicians, and other creators isn't near being resolved. The issue, as the artist behind the @NFTtheft Twitter account explained is a systemic issue that requires a systemic solution.
"Scammers are stealing content from YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Deviant Art, Artstation and even Minecraft fan forums," wrote bor. "If it can be downloaded, scammers will try to steal it. Artists have less control now than ever over their creations.
A quick glance at Twitter shows that many artists are stunned to learn that someone has taken their work and, without knowledge, produced it and sold it as NFTs.
What other actions can those who are unaware of being dragged into this sometimes fraudulent environment take, other than reporting NFTs plagiarized? Non-fungible token true believers will not like the answer, if Bor is correct.