If I sell an NFT of my work, who keeps the copyright?
In most cases you keep copyright unless you transfer it. Selling a token is not a copyright transfer by itself. Write down what buyers may do.
In most places, you keep the copyright unless you sign it away. Selling a token moves the token. It does not, on its own, move the rights to reproduce or adapt your work. Laws vary by country, so treat this as a starting point.
Decide what buyers get
- Personal display. Show it, share it, use it as a profile picture. No selling copies.
- Limited commercial use. Small merchandise runs up to a limit you set.
- Broad commercial rights. Buyers can build on the work. Generous, but hard to reverse.
- Public licence. Release the art for anyone to use, token or not.
Write it down
Publish your terms in plain words and link them from the token metadata and your project page. Buyers should see them before they mint. Vague promises in a chat channel are not a licence.
Collaborators
If others helped make the work, agree in writing who owns what before launch. Disputes after a sale are much harder to settle.
This is general guidance for creators, not legal or financial advice. For contracts and licences that matter, talk to a qualified professional.