Technology, Media & Telecommunications

Questions remain as to what the financial impacts of the Metaverse will be, and what will drive the potential trillion-dollar online economy. The answer can be found in blockchain technology, with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum acting as the money used to purchase the stuff that makes up the Metaverse—digital assets in the form of NFTs.

It’s no secret that scarcity (real or perceived) can drive demand, remember beanie babies? In the last year, there has been a surge of Non-Fungible Token (NFT) trading volume, much attributable to popular projects with limited numbers such as CryptoPunks, Bored Ape Yacht Club, and Meebits, which are essentially collections of unique images whose ownership is proven by an NFT. While this all may seem silly, NFTs are not a fad or transient internet phenomenon. They may enable fads that lead to asset bubbles, but NFTs are simply certificates that prove ownership of an asset—which can be anything from clipart of a rock to a patent—and are here to stay.

On November 4, 2021, a California federal jury found that Redbubble did not infringe any of videogame maker Atari’s trademarks or copyrights, in a case that may affect future infringement suits against online retailers that permit users to sell products on their platforms.