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International Journal of
Law
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VOL. 12, ISSUE 3 (2026)
Who owns the NFT copyright: Purchaser or creator?
Authors
Dr. Agnes Augustian
Abstract
NFT is a term for non-fungible tokens, a digitized asset that can be marketed using blockchain technology. This technology has become a new way to monetize intellectual property in the current scenario. Specifically, concerning copyright, the some NFTs are considered copyrighted works within the meaning of Section 2(y) of the Copyright Act 1957. Accordingly, the NFTs' copyright belongs to the NFT's creator. But as mentioned above, it is used by the blockchain industry; Therefore, each NFT comes with a license that allows the buyer to purchase the copyrights to use the NFT, just as NFTs become trading cards. Most articles on NFT and copyright authors raise the question of whether the right to the digital asset remains with the creator of that asset or whether it passes to the buyer of the NFT. The copyright usually rests with the author, and the NFT owner receives a limited right. Still, there is confusion about rights; Buyers acquire all rights when they purchase an NFT. In such a situation, there needs to be clarity about what a person gets when purchasing an NFT. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze whether buyers acquire rights when they buy an NFT or whether the buyer who purchases an NFT can be considered the copyright owner of the NFT.
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Pages:176-180
How to cite this article:
Dr. Agnes Augustian "Who owns the NFT copyright: Purchaser or creator?". International Journal of Law, Vol 12, Issue 3, 2026, Pages 176-180

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