NFT Lawyers and Legal Support

Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) are digital assets that represent ownership of a unique digital item, such as a digital collectable, artwork, or other digital content. Unlike traditional cryptocurrencies, which are interchangeable and have the same value, NFTs are unique and cannot be replicated or replaced. 

NFTs are built on blockchain technology and use Smart Contracts to ensure their uniqueness and scarcity. They are becoming increasingly popular in the digital art, gaming, and collectables industries, where both individuals and businesses can generate revenue via NFT sales.

Unlike cryptocurrencies and blockchain, NFTs use digital artwork which opens up lots of issues around intellectual property. There are many cases in which intellectual property is misused to mislead or scam people which raises a number of legal issues.

That is why our NFT lawyers are providing legal support to individuals and organisations that are seeking expert advice. Areas we specialise in, include: 

• Protecting intellectual property
• Advising on regulatory compliance
• Creating and managing smart contracts
• Handling legal disputes and litigation
• Negotiating and drafting contracts with stakeholders

NFT Legal Services

Litigation

Our NFT lawyers specialise in handling legal disputes related to NFTs. We offer comprehensive legal services for individuals and businesses involved in NFT-related litigation, including advanced dispute resolution and representation in mediation, arbitration, and court proceedings.

Fraud

If you have fallen victim to an NFT scam, our team of NFT lawyers can provide you with legal advice and representation to help you recover your losses and seek justice. We have extensive knowledge and experience in dealing with NFT-related fraud and can help you navigate the complex legal issues involved.

Corporate & Commercial Agreement

As the use of NFTs has become more widespread, more and more companies are forming partnerships with stakeholders to provide NFTs. Our NFT lawyers have a deep knowledge of the legal frameworks and can ensure that your commercial agreements are legally sound and binding.

What other technology industries does KaurMaxwell specialise in?

Blockchain & Web3

Blockchain and Web3 technologies have laid the foundation for the growth and development of cryptocurrencies and other decentralised applications. Whether you are launching a blockchain project, investing in crypto assets, or dealing with a legal dispute, we can help you with legal advice and knowledge on all things blockchain.

Explore our blockchain and Web3 legal services.

Cryptocurrency & Digital Assets

The world of cryptocurrency and digital assets has experienced explosive growth in recent years, but it remains a complex and challenging legal and regulatory environment. At KaurMaxwell, we offer a range of legal services to help our clients navigate this minefield and protect their rights and interests.

Explore our crypto legal services.

Smart Contracts

Our team of smart contracts lawyers can provide legal advice and support to help you navigate the legal and technical aspects of smart contracts and ensure that your rights and interests are fully protected. Whether you are creating a smart contract, reviewing an existing contract, or dealing with a dispute involving smart contracts, we can help you understand the legal implications.

Explore our Smart Contract Legal Services.

Why choose KaurMaxwell for NFT legal support and advice?

KaurMaxwell is a boutique law firm based in London that specialises in helping clients with legal disputes related to the NFT industry. Our team of experienced lawyers have a range of expertise across different industries and platforms, and we can provide comprehensive legal services to give our clients confidence and peace of mind. 

Whether you are an individual or a business, we are dedicated to delivering high-quality, exceptional legal support to help you navigate the complex legal landscape of NFTs. We take pride in providing personalised, practical advice to help protect your rights and interests and achieve your goals.

What are the benefits of using a law firm for NFTs?

1. Expertise and knowledge: Law firms that specialise in NFTs have a deep understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks governing this emerging technology, as well as the unique challenges and opportunities it presents.
2. Comprehensive services: Law firms that specialise in NFTs can provide a wide range of legal services, including contract drafting and review, dispute resolution, compliance and regulatory advice, and representation in court or other legal proceedings. 
3. Protection of rights and interests: If you are a creator of NFTs or digital artwork, it is imperative that you protect your intellectual property. NFTs involve complex legal and technical issues, and it is important to ensure that your rights and interests are protected. 
4. Access to a network of legal experts: Law firms are able to draw on experience from a number of different platforms that clients are able to benefit from. By working with a law firm you can draw on a broader range of expertise when seeking legal help regarding NFTs.

Legally, what is an NFT?

At present, NFTs are unregulated, therefore there is no legal protection for individuals who create, invest or trade NFTs. As NFTs are considered under the umbrella of a crypto asset, firms that produce NFTs must meet anti-money laundering requirements and have procedures in place to prevent terrorist financing.

Do you have legal rights to an NFT?

In the UK, only the creator of the digital artwork displayed on an NFT is protected by copyright law, which allows them to make the art available to the public, and to adapt and reproduce the artwork. 

When someone purchases an NFT, they obtain ownership of the property as it is traceable on the blockchain, but they do not have the right to display or reproduce the digital art without the original creators' approval. 

However, due to the digital nature of NFTs, they are often easily shared on the internet which opens up a number of legal issues regarding intellectual property law.

Are NFTs considered virtual assets?

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has outlined a framework to help users determine whether NFTs qualify as virtual assets (VAs). 

The framework is based on two questions: 

• whether the digital asset is unique or interchangeable.
• whether it is used as a collectible or for payment or investment purposes.

If the answers to both questions are yes, the assets in question do not fall under the definition of VAs. Stablecoin providers may also fall within the scope of regulatory action. This will depend on the level of decentralisation, the entity responsible for anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism measures.

NFT's exponential growth in numbers

In 2022, it was reported that the global NFT market was estimated to be worth over 15.7 billion USD. Furthermore, 43 million NFTs have been sold since 2017, reflecting the popularity of NFT tokens amongst investors. 

The most expensive NFT, The Merge, sold for a total of $91.7 million, beating the previous most expensive NFT by $20 million. 

In total, there are over 320,000 active individuals trading on the largest NFT marketplace, OpenSea, which has helped increase the marketplaces' value up to $13.3 billion at the start of 2022.

In the UK, over 819,000 Brits own NFTs, with 18-34 year olds making up the biggest proportion of NFT ownership in the UK.

What are the most common types of NFT scams?

• Phishing scams: These are attempts by scammers to trick you into giving them your private information, such as your password or wallet details. They may use fake websites or social media profiles to do this. Not only can this affect your NFT wallet, but they may also take money from your bank account as well.
• Ponzi schemes: In a Ponzi scheme, the scammer promises investors high returns on their investment, but instead uses the money they receive from new investors to pay off existing investors. This can continue until the scheme collapses, leaving investors with nothing.
• Fake NFTs: Opportunistic scammers will create fake NFTs and try to sell them as genuine and may use fake artwork or try to pass off someone else's work as their own. Furthermore, blockchain cannot 100% know whether NFT art is authentic which makes it even more difficult to tell what's real or not. 
• Fraudulent sales: In some cases, scammers will try to sell NFTs that do not exist or are not authorised by the creator of the work. Even in an NFT marketplace, scams can still take place.
• Hacking and theft: NFTs are stored on the blockchain, which is a secure digital ledger. However, like any other digital assets, they can still be hacked or stolen.
• Rug pull: A common scam within NFTs. A rug pull is where a creator will promote a new NFT project to gain attention and investment. However, rather than releasing the NFTs, they'll disappear with all the investors' money, leaving them penniless.

FAQs

What does an NFT lawyer do?

NFT lawyers provide legal advice to individuals and companies within the NFT industry. This can include advice for creators of NFTs that are facing intellectual property issues or companies that are looking to protect their best interests. Overall, they help clients to better understand the legal complexities of the NFT industry.

How can KaurMaxwell help with NFT law?

We can provide expertise on everything blockchain, crypto, and NFT. We're happy to legally support organisations with litigation, fraud, and commercial agreements relating to NFTs. Our team of experts are on hand to use their experience and expert knowledge to ensure that you protect your interests.