--- title: "Artist Shuts Down Because People Keep Stealing Their Work to Make NFTs" description: "NFT Theft Comic artist Liam Sharp, who has worked for the likes of DC Comics, is sick and tired of having his work stolen. Sharp decided to shut down his gallery on DeviantArt, a massive online art community, because “people keep stealing my art and making NFTs,” he announced in a tweet. It’s a huge […]" date: "2021-12-20" modified: "2021-12-20" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/artist-stealing-nfts" categories: - "Blockchain" - "Future Society" - "NFTs" tags: - "blockchain" - "nfts" - "the digest" --- # Artist Shuts Down Because People Keep Stealing Their Work to Make NFTs ![Comic book artist Liam Sharp decided to shut down his gallery on DeviantArt, because "people keep stealing my art and making NFTs."]() *\Image: Liam Sharp\* ## NFT Theft Comic artist Liam Sharp, who has worked for the likes of DC Comics, is sick and tired of having his work stolen. Sharp decided to shut down his gallery on DeviantArt, a massive online art community, because "people keep stealing my art and making NFTs," [he announced]() in a tweet. It's a huge problem that isn't talked about much: many NFTs circulating online are the result of copyright theft. And that's despite the fact that DeviantArt is [working with NFT exchange OpenSea]() to develop an alert system to stop this kind of thing from happening. "Can't — and shouldn't have to — report each one and make a case, which is consistently ignored," Sharp wrote in the tweet. "Sad and frustrating," ## Race to the Bottom Even late comic book legend Stan Lee has gotten sucked into the NFT craze — and from beyond the grave. His official Twitter account [was being used]() to sell an NFT in the form of an image of the superhero Chakra The Invincible last week. Remember, he passed away back in 2018. "Using Stan Lee’s twitter account to promote an NFT gets you sent straight to hell," one Twitter user [wrote in response](). In short, NFTs aren't necessarily the answer to artists and creators looking to be fairly compensated or even just recognized for their hard work. Not only are NFTs being created from copyrighted material, but they remain to be a risky investment. The NFT marketplace is still [riddled with scams]() that leave thousands of crypto enthusiasts out in the cold. Despite the risks, the tokens are more popular than ever before, with the likes of [Nike]() and [Melania Trump]() jumping on the bandwagon. And that could bode badly for artists trying to make a living from their art. **READ MORE:** [NFT Theft is Still Plaguing DeviantArt, Despite Fraud Detection Tool]() \[*Gizmodo*\] **More on NFTs:** *[Nike Buys NFT Company that Made the Elon Musk “Cybersneaker”]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()