Feasibility of Applying "Infringement" in Minting Non-Fungible Tokens Arising from Trademarks

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Department of Private and Islamic Law, Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The advancement of technology leads to the creation of new tools. One of these tools is non-fungible tokens. Non-fungible tokens, which are described as unique digital assets, are built based on blockchain technology. In this short time of their appearance, these tokens have created new questions related to intellectual property rights and, most importantly, the infringement of various intellectual property rights. The tokens in question have created a paradigm shift in how we interact with and understand digital assets. Legal structures need to be reviewed to address the legal implications of these technological developments. The present paper, which studies issues related to trademarks and these tokens, has been done in a descriptive-analytical way using library resources. In cases where a non-fungible token represents a particular trademark or indicates the goods or services of a particular trademark, it examines whether the creator of such token, if he or she is not the owner of the trademark, has infringed the trademark owner's rights. Finally, it concludes that although verifying the criterion of infringement in the second type of infringement seems more likely, we cannot provide a general rule for all the cases. In every single case, a decision must be made according to its specific circumstances.

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References

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Private Law
Volume 20, Issue 2
Autumn & Winter
October 2023
Pages 181-194

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