Check for yourself

Stardust NFT Project artist Coco has come under fire for allegedly stealing other people’s artwork. As a result, the founder used professional photographs and photos of public figures to create her own collectibles.

Now the NFT community is wondering if Coco’s image references are actually theft. Meanwhile, the artist said each reference is copyright free “to the best of his knowledge.”

Did the founder of the Stardust NFT project steal the works of others?

On June 29, the @NFTtheft Twitter account spotlighted Coco, the founding artist of Stardust’s new NFT project. Essentially, the band accused Coco of stealing other people’s work. The artist would have used photos belonging to models, photographers, stylists, etc.,

In the same Tweeter, NFT Theft also included several examples of Coco references. Examples include entrepreneur Rashmi Bhanja and model Millie Hannah, among others.

“Reference is a valuable tool for many artists. However, surfing the net for photos and tracing them without permission is not the same as a reference,” NFT Theft wrote. “It’s taking other people’s work and calling it your own. These photographers and models should be paid for their work.

How did the NFT community react?

At first, the discovery spread like wildfire. Some people defended Coco, writing that her action was “completely legitimate”. Meanwhile, others have criticized the artist for not mentioning his NFT credentials.

Amazingly, Coco even addressed the controversy a day before @NFTtheft’s post! On June 28, a user asked Coco if the Stardust NFT reference photos were copyrighted. Here is the answer :

Overall, the NFT community is still wondering if Coco made a huge mistake or not. Meanwhile, the Stardust NFT collection successfully debuts in the market. the project has already surpassed 14 ETH in trading volume on OpenSea.

Recently, Coco revealed the Stardust Project’s dedication to supporting other female-led projects. For example, the project recently purchased an NFT by COWGIRL. The initiative actively makes a difference in real life by supporting the reproductive rights of women in the United States.