The advent of NFTs marked a paradigm shift in the art world. Ever since these digital artworks burst onto the scene in 2021, a new artistic trend has spread. Some particularly sought-after NFT works sell for several million dollars. But why bother buying an NFT when you can just capture them? After all, an NFT is nothing but a digital work of art made of pixels, just like a screenshot. Have you ever asked yourself the question? It’s time to answer them!
Screenshots vs. NFT
Even the most expensive NFT in the world, Beeple: Everydays-First 5000 Days, is available online. One could easily take a screenshot of the same thing and pass it off as the original, right? Well not really. There are several reasons why you cannot do this.
First reason: The law
First, it is illegal to capture an NFT and pass it off as your own. It is also illegal to post it online or make a physical copy. You could be sued for copyright infringement or other criminal charges if you do so.
A screenshot is not the original NFT
Imagine you are attending an art exhibition taking pictures of all the paintings. Tomorrow, if those paintings go up in value, are the images you took suddenly worth something? No. It’s the same with an NFT. A screenshot is like an image of a table; it’s worthless. ” Taking a picture of the Mona Lisa in the Louvre is not exactly the same as owning a work by Leonardo da Vinci. The same concept can be applied to NFTs for digital artwork. Taking a screenshot of an NFT does not make you the rightful owner of the artwork “, declared in particular Zach Burks, the founder of Mintableon his blog.
It’s easy to make a screenshot of an NFT
But, at the same time, it’s so easy to screenshot an NFT. Just search for the NFT online and with a single click you have a copy saved on your phone. In addition, it is an exact replica of the original, unlike a reproduction of a painting which may have some inconsistencies. Won’t this endanger the original work of art and its creator? Just because it’s illegal doesn’t mean bad people won’t try to sell those screenshots to unsuspecting buyers, earning thousands of dollars in the process. As such, could screenshots jeopardize the entire NFT industry?
Second reason
Well, again, not really. Screenshots are not a problem for the NFT industry. Here’s why: screenshots are everywhere. We all have a screenshot of the Louboutins we want to buy, the Rollex watches we can’t afford, and the chic Lamborghinis we dream of owning. But does that diminish the value of the real deal? No, this is not the case ! You can also find counterfeits across all industries, and NFTs are no different. You can buy a fake Everydays NFT somewhere on the internet that looks exactly like the original. However, it will not have the same value as the real NFT.
The major advantage of NFTs: Security, inalterability and ownership
Indeed, NFTs serve as proof of ownership and a certificate of authenticity. Each time an NFT is created, the details of its creator and owner are stored on the blockchain for everyone to see. Each time the NFT is traded, information about its new owner is added to the blockchain. Therefore, an original Everydays NFT can be traced back to its creator, Beeple, and will also show how the NFT changed hands before landing with its current owner.
We have seen how screenshots cannot really impact the economy of NFTs. Finally, you can always buy fakes… But in reality, the history and authenticity of an NFT are guaranteed by blockchain technology. This makes it a superb instrument for certifying or verifying the authenticity of a work. It is therefore impossible to be wrong, unless you want to buy a fake.
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