DC Comics just banned its artists from selling NFT art. At least, until DC itself can sufficiently study and implement a system intended for handling this art. NFTs have taken the internet hostage and now DC has chimed in on the discussion.
NFTs, or Non-Fungible Tokens, are digital items that cannot be duplicated. Lately, there have been several auctions for NFTs which have caused news outlets to have a surge in content pertaining to them. The idea is that digital art, images, music, files, and game tokens can be sold as original items that have actual value. This would be just like buying a piece of original art to own physically, but in the digital realm. There has been valid criticism regarding NFTs and the environmental impact they have, as they use a ton of real-life energy.
get in on the NFT market itself.
DC appears to be researching how NFTs work and how they would fit into the practices of the company. At the moment it appears as though they wish to protect the intellectual rights of their brand and characters within it. Considering how new NFTs are and the need to protect copyrights and branding, this is a relatively reasonable approach for the company to take. NFTs allow artists to sell art digitally as a collectible item and allow buyers to purchase a collectible digital item. The process is being likened to collecting art or trading cards.
As of yet, there has been no further word from DC on how they plan to handle NFTs. They do not seem to want to miss the opportunity to be on the market while it is still fresh with profit potential. However, aspects of copyright and legality are still in question due to how new this form of cryptocurrency exchange is. DC, and other creative companies, will need to ensure that they stay on the right side of the law, without damaging their brand long-term. NFTs are very new, so their staying power and long-term value are unknown. This could be a game-changer for digital artists, but DC Comics has proven that consumers shouldn't expect large companies to keep their fingers out of the pie.
Source: Games Radar
