Blockchain-Enabled Secure Digital Image Ownership and Verification: A Novel Approach to Prevent NFT Fraud and Duplicate Images

Abstract

This paper proposes a novel solution for securing digital image ownership and verification within the Non-Fungible Token (NFT) ecosystem. While existing blockchain systems lack adequate protection for intellectual property, the proposed system employs watermarking to preserve copyrights during NFT minting. It also integrates Merkle Trees for efficient duplication detection and counterfeit prevention. Additionally, the system can identify tampered regions, enhancing duplicate NFT detection. These contributions provide a secure and scalable framework for protecting digital content in the evolving NFT landscape.