By Blake Brittain
(Reuters) -A Manhattan federal jury on Wednesday concluded that an artist’s non-fungible token versions of Hermes’ famous Birkin bags violated the French fashion house’s trademark rights.
The artist’s attorney Rhett Millsaps confirmed the verdict, saying the result was a “terrible day for artists and the First Amendment.”
The amount that the jury awarded to Hermes could not be immediately determined.
In the one of the first intellectual-property trials over the popular digital tokens known as NFTs, the jury found artist Mason Rothschild’s unauthorized “MetaBirkins” were likely to confuse consumers.
The case has been closely watched for its potential to clarify how trademark law will apply to NFTs, which are unique tokens on blockchain networks often used to verify ownership of digital art.
(Editing by Diane Craft)
