Content Creators Are Having Their Pictures And YouTube Channels Stolen And Sold As NFTs
Update 18:00 GMT: An OpenSea spokesperson responded to TheGamer with the following statement: “OpenSea supports an open and creative ecosystem in which people have greater freedom and ownership over digital items of all kinds. One of our operating principles is to support creators and their audiences by deterring theft and plagiarism on our platform. To that end, it is against our policy to sell NFTs using plagiarized content, which we regularly enforce in various ways, including delisting and in some instances, banning accounts (as was the case in this instance). We are actively expanding our efforts across customer support, trust and safety, and site integrity so we can move faster to protect and empower our community and creators.”
Original report: The NFT community is hardly known for its restraint, but it's now reached a new low. Content creators are seeing their channels pop up on NFT site OpenSea, with the "rights" to the web addresses being sold to whoever puts in an offer. These listings will of course include any artwork from the channel, contributing to the art theft already present in the NFT space.
YouTubers Jim Sterling and Caddicarus are among the first to notice their channels being sold online, in a move that they're labelling "pathetic", "disrespectful" and "exploitative". Sony Santa Monica Studios' Alanah Pearce has also had her pictures stolen and sold on the site, with the sellers going a step further than theft, and photoshopping the game dev onto a porn magazine cover.
Related: If You Put NFTs In Life Is Strange I Will Not Be Responsible For My Own Actions
Despite this being an obvious instance of photograph and art theft - and harassment in the case of Pearce's image - all of the listings
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