p>You've been ripped off.
/p>
p>Someone took your art and, without your permission they created a non-fungible token. The same fraudster has put those NFTs of the stolen artwork for sale, and is raking in the undeserved gains. This is a sad and common occurrence. There are fortunately alternatives. However, it's not easy to get your stolen art removed on major NFT exchanges such as OpenSea? or Rarible.
/p>
p>Here's the opposite of the popular NFT coin. Plagiarized artwork and fake work dominate what was a $44 million market. https://wzjxzz.com/ The scourge is so prevalent that in the month of January 2022, the self-described "world's largest and first NFT marketplace," OpenSea?, admitted that more than 80 percent of NFTs minted using its free minting tool "were copied works, fake collections, and spam."
/p>
p>Artists, unfortunately, are all too familiar with this less glamorous side of NFTs. Twitter accounts dedicated to exposing the minted NFTs of stolen artwork, like @NFTtheft have thousands of followers and draw attention to the common scam.
/p>
p>A Bay Area artist goes by the name "bor" and manages the Twitter account @NFTtheft. They stated in a an email that they prefer to remain anonymous because of the intimidation directed at artists who are against non-fungible tokens.
/p>
p>Bor said that plagiarism is a recurring issue in the NFT space and will always be a factor. "As long as anyone can mint anything while remaining pseudonymous on an unregulated/decentralized technology, plagiarism is going to be a big problem."
/p>
p>It's a problem of which marketplaces that sell, buy, sell, and list NFTs are aware of. They're often not taking the necessary steps to deal with the issue. OpenSea? and Rarible (a competitor to OpenSea?) have established procedures for those who want to report stolen work. However, as artists frequently point out, reporting NFTs isn't always easy.
/p>
p>Many artists still consider it to be their only alternative.
/p>
p>How do I report a stolen NFT on OpenSea?
/p>
p>Go to the Help Center.
/p>
p>Click on the "How can you assist?" drop-down menu. drop-down menu, choose "Intellectual Property Rights Violation Takedown Request."
/p>
p>
Enter your email address./p>
p>
In the subject line In the subject line, write "fraudulent content."/p>
p>
In the "Description" section In the "Description" section, give as much detail as you can to demonstrate that an OpenSea? listing is only your artwork that you have posted without permission (include hyperlinks). Please describe the images you've included (see Step 6)./p>
p>
Include screenshots under "Attachments" of both where your artwork actually is online (presumably someone copied it before posting it on OpenSea?). Also include the NFT listings./p>
p>
Hit "Submit."/p>
p>
OpenSea? cannot guarantee any results or that the company will be back with you./p>
p>"When you file a report, our team will review the collection and determine if it violates our Terms of Service. If it does we will take it off," says the company's Help Center. The ticket will be closed once it has been resolved. It is possible that you will not receive an answer from us.
/p>
p>How can I report a stolen NFT on Rarible
/p>
p>Similar to OpenSea?, Rarible has a process by which users can submit reports of stolen art listed on its marketplace as NFTs for sale. To report stolen art in the form of NFTs on Rarible:
/p>
p>Once you've found the NFT in question, select the three dots in the upper-right corner.
/p>
p>
Select the "Report" option./p>
p>
Write down that the work is stolen, and provide as much detail as possible to back up your claim./p>
p>
Hit "Report."/p>
p>
Importantly, Rarible does not promise it will remove the NFT in the matter. Artists' displeasure is understandable as the company doesn't promise that it will respond to their concerns./p>
p>How can you stop plagiarized NFTs
/p>
p>While artists can report stolen NFTs directly on the marketplaces listing them for sale, the issue of thieves making a profit from the work of illustrators as well as musicians, designers, and other creators is not near being resolved. According to the artist behind @NFTtheft's Twitter account, the problem is systemic and will need a systemic solution.
/p>
p>"Scammers are stealing content from YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, Deviant Art, Artstation and even Minecraft fan forums," wrote bor. "If it is possible to download it, scammers will try to take it. Artists have less control now than ever over their creations.
/p>
p>A quick glance at Twitter shows that a lot of artists are shocked that someone has taken their work and, without knowledge, created it and sold it as NFTs.
/p>
p>So what other steps apart from reporting plagiarized NFTs, can people unwittingly sucked into this sometimes fraudulent market? If Bor is correct the non-fungible token true believers will not like the answer.
/p>
