Сертификаты подлинности: от печатей до NFT.

Seal placed on objects (physical or digital) to show they are genuine

A certificate of authenticity (COA) is a seal or small sticker on a proprietary computer program, t shirt, jersey, or any other memorabilia or art work, especially in the world of computers and sports. It is commonly a seal on paper authenticating a specific art work which and is made to demonstrate that the item is authentic.

Computer COAs have a license number on them, which verifies that the program is a genuine, legal copy. Artwork or posters come with a certificate of authenticity signed and sealed by a reputable appraiser or auction house.

COAs are mostly common in the art world. Generally speaking, a valid COA for an artwork will include specific details about the artwork like when and how it was produced, the names of people or companies involved in the artwork's production, the work's exact title, the dimensions of the art, and the names of reference books, magazines, or similar resources that contain either specific or related information about either that work of art or the artist. The COA should also state the qualifications and full contact information of the individual or entity that authored the certificate with his or her complete and current contact information. COAs have been a target of much controversy due to online auction sites where sellers are providing fake Certificates of Authenticity to market or sell their art works.

COA's are commonly used on internet auction sites in order to provide "proof" that the signature on a signed item is genuine. However, it is widely acknowledged that most of these COA's have simply been produced by fraudulent sellers in order to encourage the buyer to buy fake items. In almost all cases these COA's are worthless and have no traceability. It has been shown that around 90% of the COA's issued by these sellers do not even have the contact details of the person selling the item, or if they do they are often incorrect or have an address of a company that has long since disappeared.

Non Fungible Tokens (NFTs) have emerged as a digital analogue to traditional certificates of authenticity, particularly in the realm of digital art and collectibles. An NFT is a unique digital token, typically on a blockchain like Ethereum, which certifies ownership and authenticity of a digital asset. This technology has gained prominence as a means of asserting the originality and ownership of digital artworks and other unique digital items.

As with traditional COAs, the legal implications of NFTs are still being explored. Issues such as copyright ownership, transfer of rights, and the legal status of NFTs in various jurisdictions are areas of ongoing debate and development.