Matti Pietari Järvinen was contacted by a US-based fashion designer via social media. This started a copyright discussion that lasted several months.
– My hands are shaking a bit, Järvinen says.
Järvinen has been waiting for this box to arrive for over two months. The package, sent from the United States, contains almost everything that remains of a strange tangle that has been going on for several months.
A colourful blouse is revealed in the box, and Järvinen is speechless for a moment.
– Some kind of faith in humanity has returned. I’ll have to try this on.
What exactly is it about?
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Matti Pietari Järvinen sells his visual art, for example, in the form of NFT. Martinez bought one of Järvinen’s works.
NFT stands for *non-fungible token*. NFT is a cryptocurrency technology that refers to a digital, collectible \”currency\ such as a work of art or a picture.
– When buying NFT, the buyer receives a digital copy of the work. He doesn’t get user rights, they stay with the artist, Järvinen explains.
After a while, a surprise followed: Martinez sent Järvisen a sketch of a shirt on social media with his art printed on it.
– I told him that he does not have access to it. His understanding was that after buying NFT, he also got the rights to the work, says Järvinen.
He says that he clarified the matter with the designer and that he sent him a legal text to clarify the copyright. In the end, Martinez seemed to accept Järvinen’s position on the matter.
Works on display at Fashion Week
Martinez still continued to work on his collection. In September, she presented clothes with Järvinen’s art at New York Fashion Week in a show organized by Anastasia Magazine.
– He is a man of action, Järvinen states.
According to him, the two were still working in agreement at this stage, and Järvinen knew in advance that the works would be presented at fashion weeks.
New York Fashion Week takes place every year in February and September and is one of the biggest fashion events in the world.
Yle has seen the exchange of messages between Martinez and Järvinen. The contact has continued for several months.
Yle reached Martinez through social media. Based on his answer, it seems that the two have broken up. The message sent by Martinez shows that he does not want to comment on the details of the case and that he is disappointed with Järvinen’s actions.
Name was missing
According to Järvinen, they had made an informal agreement that Martinez would be allowed to make an eleven-piece batch of clothes for sale.
– Then things got bigger. He had the idea that he would bring artists to the fore with his own works. However, that didn’t happen, at least on social media, because it didn’t read my name anywhere.
According to Järvinen, Martinez did not understand what was wrong. The clothing designer thought it was only a good thing that Järvinen’s art was on display at big fashion events.
– That’s a great thing. It just doesn’t do me any good if my name isn’t mentioned anywhere.
According to Järvinen, he only hoped to get his name out there, not to benefit financially from the collaboration.
The last staple
Järvinen says that Martinez later asked him to make a wolf painting for a charity auction. Shortly after that, Järvinen says that he saw a picture of a wolf printed on a piece of clothing. That was the final straw.
– My name did not appear anywhere again. I’m not at fashion weeks to see if my name is mentioned somewhere. My only reality is what I see on social media, says Järvinen.
He says that the duo’s cooperation ended when Martinez did not agree to the written agreement Järvinen demanded on the terms of cooperation.
According to Järvinen, most of the images of clothes based on Järvinen’s art have been removed from Martinez’s social media after the collaboration ended. A few references to them can still be found on Martinez’s social media.
The end of the cooperation was a relief for Järvis. Still, it’s also annoying.
– To some extent, I am disappointed with how this went, Järvinen says.
In the end, all that was left was a cardboard box with a colorful jacket inside. Järvinen bought a total of three pieces of clothing from Martinez. The remaining two are still on their way.
– Money often comes between people. He is certainly not a bad person either, says Järvinen.
The phenomenon exists
The artists have contacted Kuvasto because of the requests they have received. Kuvasto is a copyright organization for artists in the visual field.
– Artists wonder how they should approach this, Nilsson says.
According to him, art in NFT format is subject to copyright in the same way as other works.
– The commercialization of art in the form of NFT does not remove the artist’s economic and moral right to his own work.
According to Nilsson, the phenomenon is talking about the art field internationally as well. Copyright legislation has been harmonized so that its most central principles are globally consistent. However, the legislation does not recognize NFT as a separate way of using the work, says Nilsson.
According to his information, copyrights to art in NFT format have been dealt with in court at least in Great Britain and China, but not in Finland. Matti Pietari Järvinen says that he is not currently taking the matter to court.