NFT Intellectual Property Scam
A scheme where NFT sellers mint and sell tokens based on art, music, or other content they do not own, deceiving buyers about what rights they are actually purchasing.
Also known as: stolen art NFT, NFT copyright fraud, IP NFT scam
Last reviewed: 10 June 2026
NFT intellectual property scams take two forms: creators minting NFTs of content they do not own (stolen art from other artists, unlicensed photography, copyrighted characters) and marketed as original work; and misleading buyers about the legal rights transferred with the NFT purchase.
The second form is subtle: most NFT sales transfer only a digital file and the token record, not copyright, commercial rights, or the right to make derivative works. Projects that imply buyers receive broad IP rights, without clear legal documentation, may be creating false expectations. Buyers who invest expecting to commercialise the IP may find they have no legal basis to do so.
In stolen-art cases, the original creator can file DMCA takedowns and the NFT may be delisted from platforms, destroying any resale value. Buyers should verify artwork originality with reverse image search, review the actual licence terms of any project making IP promises, and understand that an NFT is a receipt, not necessarily a rights instrument.