When you buy an NFT, a unique digital token on a blockchain that proves ownership of a specific asset. Also known as non-fungible token, it doesn't mean you own the art itself—just a record that says you bought it. Most people think buying an NFT gives them the same rights as buying a painting in a gallery. It doesn't. The copyright, the right to copy, sell, or make merchandise from the image, almost always stays with the original artist unless they explicitly transfer it in writing. This confusion is why so many NFT buyers get shocked when they try to use their pixel art as a logo, print it on t-shirts, or post it in ads.
NFT metadata, the hidden data inside an NFT that defines its traits, creator, and storage location. Also known as token attributes, it’s what makes your NFT different from others—but metadata doesn’t include copyright terms. You’ll find the image link, name, and description there, but rarely any legal fine print. That’s usually buried in the project’s website Terms of Service, if it’s even there at all. Projects like Lunar Crystal NFT and HashLand Coin’s New Era NFT airdrop gave people tokens, but never clarified what those tokens could actually be used for. And when the project vanishes, your rights vanish with it. Without clear legal language, your NFT is just a digital collectible with no enforceable ownership beyond the blockchain record.
Digital art ownership, the legal and practical control over how a digital image is used, reproduced, or monetized is a mess right now. Artists often sell NFTs to raise money, then keep full rights to license the art elsewhere. Buyers think they own something exclusive, but they’re really just owning a receipt. Meanwhile, companies like Superp and CrossWallet focus on trading and airdrops, not legal clarity. Even big exchanges don’t help—they list NFTs but don’t verify copyright transfers. The result? A market built on assumptions, not law. If you want to use your NFT beyond just showing it off, you need to check the contract, contact the creator, and get it in writing. Otherwise, you’re risking a cease-and-desist letter, not just a lost investment.
What you’ll find below are real stories of NFTs that disappeared, creators who vanished, and buyers who learned the hard way that owning a token doesn’t mean owning the art. Some posts expose fake airdrops like CHY and WELL that promised value but delivered nothing. Others dig into how metadata standards like ERC-721 and ERC-1155 work—and why they don’t solve the copyright problem. There’s no magic fix. But understanding the gap between what you think you own and what you actually own is the first step to staying safe in this space.
Buying an NFT doesn't mean you own the artwork. Learn what rights you actually get, how commercial use works, and why reading the terms is the only way to avoid legal trouble.
