Art licensing basics for NFT creators

This is general information, not legal advice. Laws differ between countries, so talk to a lawyer about your own situation.

When someone mints a piece from your collection, what do they actually get? The piece, for sure. But the right to print the art on t-shirts? To use it in a video? That depends on the license. Collectors increasingly ask, so it’s worth deciding before you launch.

Ownership vs rights

Two separate things:

• The piece: the NFT itself, recorded on the chain as belonging to a wallet.
• The copyright: the legal rights to the artwork, which usually stay with the creator unless they say otherwise.

Buying a printed poster doesn’t let you sell copies of the poster. Buying an NFT usually works the same way, unless the creator grants more.

What a license does

A license is the bridge. It spells out what holders can do with the art, for example:

• Show it: display it, share it online.
• Use it as a profile picture.
• Print it for themselves.
• Make and sell things with it, like merch.

Common choices

1. Personal use: display and share, nothing commercial. Simple and common.
2. Commercial use with limits: holders can make things with their piece, perhaps up to a certain scale or with credit to you.
3. Full commercial use: holders can use their piece for almost anything.
4. Public domain style: anyone (not just holders) can use the art for anything.

There’s no best one. Personal use protects your art the most; broader licenses can make holders feel more invested.

Writing yours in plain words

Put a short license line in your collection description. Examples:

• “Holders may display and share their piece. All other rights reserved by the artist.”
• “Holders may use their piece on personal merch, crediting the artist. No other commercial use.”
• “Holders may use their piece commercially. The artist keeps the right to use all art in the collection.”

Short and clear beats long and vague. If you use a standard license by name, link to its text from your own channels and say which one in the description.

Only license what you own

You can’t give rights you don’t have. Be careful with:

• Someone else’s characters or logos.
• Fonts, textures and stock assets with their own terms.
• AI tools with their own commercial terms. Using AI tools in your art, honestly covers this.
• Collaborations: agree in writing who owns what.

A worked example

Ana’s frog collection is hand-drawn. She wants holders to feel free to make stickers of their frog, but she doesn’t want a company printing her frogs on mugs. Her description says: “Holders may display, share and make personal stickers or prints of their own frog. No commercial use. All other rights stay with Ana.” When a holder asks about selling a few stickers at a local fair, she can answer clearly, and decide case by case, because the default is written down.

Licensing, step by step

1. Decide what you’re comfortable with holders doing.
2. Check you own every part of the art.
3. Pick a type from the list above.
4. Write it in one or two plain sentences.
5. Put it in your collection description before you publish.
6. Answer license questions in public so everyone sees the answer.

Brought-over collections

If you bring a collection that’s already on Base to KURV, its existing license still applies. Repeat it in the description so collectors on KURV see it.

What happens when a piece is sold

A license usually follows the piece. If Ana’s holder sells their frog on KURV’s market, the new holder gets the same rights the license describes, and the old one usually loses them. Say this plainly in your license line if it matters to you: “These rights belong to the current holder of the piece.”

Your own rights as the creator

Keep the rights you need to keep making work. Most creators reserve the right to show every piece in the collection, use them in posts and portfolios, and make new art in the same style. Write that down too, so nobody is surprised when you post a holder’s piece as part of your collection.

Common mistakes

• Saying nothing, so holders guess.
• Promising “full rights” without meaning it.
• Licensing art you don’t fully own.
• Changing the license after launch in ways that surprise holders.
• Copying a long license you haven’t read.

FAQ

Do holders own the copyright? Usually not, unless you grant it.

Can I change my license later? Some licenses allow changes, but surprising holders damages trust. Decide carefully before launch.

Do I need a lawyer? For anything complex or commercial, it’s wise.

What if someone uses my art without permission? Avoiding copycat art covers what to do.

Where to go next

• Avoiding copycat art