Donald Trump accused of using copyright-protected images in his NFT collection

News -

Donald Trump accused of using copyright-protected images in his NFT collection

Former US president Donald Trump has been accused of using copyright-protected photos in his NFT collection, with social media users calling his money-making endeavor a "scam".

Last month, Trump launched 45,000 photos as an NFT collection called ‘Collect Trump Cards’, or ‘Trump Digital Trading Cards’ as it’s officially known on OpenSea.

The collection, which depicts him as various characters such as a superhero, an astronaut, and a cowboy, was priced at US$99 a pop and sold out quickly.

However, many users on Twitter pointed out copyright infringement possibilities as Trump’s head was edited onto images found on the websites of small apparel businesses, stock images or even clothing available on Amazon and Walmart.

According to Matthew Sheffield, a journalist for The Young Turks, Trump's NFT depicting him as a cowboy might have been altered from an Amazon advertisement for a "Scully Men's Duster" jacket.

Another person on social media questioned Trump's use of a photograph of the former president playing golf that was shot by one of Reuters' photographers.

Another design, where Trump is dressed like a fighter pilot, was allegedly taken from a Shutterstock image.

Several Twitter users think that he could face legal action for copyright infringement over his NFTs.

“Using another company’s photos and unpaid stock images to create an image for profit is considered copyright infringement,” one person tweeted.

According to the FAQ section on CollectTrumpCards.com, the images were created by illustrator Clark Mitchell, who has created illustrations for numerous well-known companies.

PitchMark helps innovators deter idea theft, so that third parties that they share their idea with get the idea but don’t take it. Visit PitchMark.net and register for free as a PitchMark member today.

Topics

Categories

Contacts

Mark Laudi

Mark Laudi

Press contact Managing Partner (+65) 6223 2249

Related content

Manchester United accused of copying NFT from artist

Manchester United accused of copying NFT from artist

The NFT collection that Manchester United introduced on Tezos sold out far more quickly than anticipated, but it is accused of copying from another well-known Tezos NFT artist.
On December 28, NFT artist Lucréce tweeted that he was in discussions with Arthur Breitman, co-founder of Tezos, to ask Manchester United why its new NFT line incorporates his designs and aesthetics.
Lucréce’s collect

China steps up its commitment to protect creators’ works from being infringed in the NFT space

China steps up its commitment to protect creators’ works from being infringed in the NFT space

In a bid to protect copyright and stimulate creativity, the Chinese Government has intensified its efforts to monitor people who copy other creative works without their consent to create non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
The National Copyright Administration (NCA) will clamp down on offences such as the minting of NFTs based on other people’s works like art, cartoons, music, video games, etc without

Photo from StockX website

Nike sues StockX for violating trademarks over NFTs

Non-fungible tokens or NFTs continue to be in vogue in 2022, but so have the confusions and legal issues arising from them. In the latest round of actions, Nike has sued StockX for violating trademarks by selling its digital tokens without permission.
StockX is a US-based online resale marketplace that sells streetwear, handbags, and other goods, valued at about US$3.8 billion. In January, it

5 reasons innovators should use PitchMark

5 reasons innovators should use PitchMark

Prevention is better than cure. That’s why when we buy a vehicle, we buy an insurance plan for it too. But what safeguards do innovators have when it comes to their ideas?
That’s where PitchMark comes in. Idea theft is a problem that many innovators face, and the financial loss and hurt feelings that arise from seeing your ideas copied by others without consent, credit and compensation can be

Getty Images sues AI art generator Stable Diffusion for trillions of dollars

Getty Images sues AI art generator Stable Diffusion for trillions of dollars

The makers of the well-known AI art tool Stable Diffusion, Stability AI, are being sued in a United States District Court by Getty Images for allegedly violating the copyrights of 12 million photographs from the company’s collection, and is asking for trillions of dollars in compensation.
Stability is accused of copying Getty's images, captions, and information “as part of its efforts to build

Photographer Alec Byrne sues Getty Images for copyright infringement

Photographer Alec Byrne sues Getty Images for copyright infringement

Renowned music photographer Alec Byrne has sued Getty Images for copyright infringement, saying that the firm sold popular photographs he snapped of bands such as ABBA, Fleetwood Mac, and the Bee Gees without his permission.
The California-based lawsuit, which seeks both damages as well as a permanent injunction, claims that Getty Images violated copyright by selling images captured by Byrne in

Let your clients get the idea, without taking it.

PitchMark deters idea theft and provides you with options if it happens.

PitchMark protects the expression of your original concepts, designs, proposals, business plans, creative pitches, music - in short, any idea that you conceived and published, and claim as your own. It gives you peace-of-mind by signalling to whoever you share it with that you are its creator, and that you wish to be respected as such.

If you receive or evaluate ideas or pitches, join PitchMark as a sign of your commitment to respect the Intellectual Property rights of their creators. Attract more in-depth pitches from a wider range of sources. Highlight your PitchMark membership in your Sustainability or CSR Report.

PitchMark
Find out more