$7.5M NFT Collection Accused of Using Art Without Permission Faces Legal Action –

While non-fungible token (NFT) assets have been extremely popular in 2021, there have also been a number of issues related to the ecosystem. According to a recent report, about a dozen artists are considering taking legal action against an NFT collection called “Art Wars” because their original artworks were sold as NFTs without their consent.

NFT collection aims to use artworks without permission from the original artists

Non-fungible token (NFT) assets have generated billions of dollars in sales this year, and the term “NFT” has only recently come into use excellent the Collins English Dictionary word of the year. The last seven days have seen NFT markets like Opensea $587 million In terms of sales, Atomicwax has achieved over $20 million and Rarible over $3 million in weekly NFT sales.

However, recently certain problems have arisen in the NFT industry such as: durability, censorship, Insider trading, and now artists are upset that NFTs are being issued without consent. Financial Times (FT) reports that artwork by Anish Kapoor and David Bailey was issued as non-fungible tokens without receiving their blessing.

Loud Test report, Star Wars Stormtrooper helmets from Kapoor, Bailey and others were photographed without permission and sold as NFTs. The NFT collection was sold for millions or around 1,600 sold ETH which equates to more than $7.5 million at the time of writing.

A Dozen Artists May Take Legal Action – Legal Battles Over Intellectual Property and NFTs

The FT report notes that the collection, named “ Art Wars " are approximately 1,138 images. Artworks attributed to Kapoor were resold at 1,000 ETH, while Bailey's work for 120 was in resale ETH. FT's Cristina Criddle said the NFTs have since been removed from Open sea.

“According to legal representatives, approximately 12 artists are considering legal action against the project,” highlights Criddle’s report. Criddle explains Helen Downie, an artist who uses the name “Unskilled Worker” may face legal action after noticing two helmets being sold as NFTs.

Issues similar to those of Kapoor and Bailey have cropped up in the NFT industry recently and made headlines. Legal representatives of both comic publishers DC comics and Marvel have warned Freelance artists are not allowed to use copyrighted materials and characters to sell as NFTs.

Acclaimed film director Quentin Tarantino is in one Litigation with Miramax about “Pulp Fiction” NFTs. Roc-A-Fella Records is in a Litigation with Damon Dash about NFTs related to Jay-Z's debut album "Reasonable Doubt."

What do you think of the artists considering taking legal action against the NFT collection that grossed over $7 million in sales? Let us know your thoughts on this topic in the comments below.

Photo credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons