Phunk Is Punk - A Letter to Larva Labs (from Cryptophunks)

(The following is an open letter to Larva Labs, from Cryptophunks)

To Larva Labs and the NFT community:

In the words of your co-founder Matt Hall, the blockchain "provides a layer of trust that removes the need for lawyers and middlemen." But over the last several weeks, we've seen that your actions speak louder than these words. You have called for lawyers and have ignored our public and private requests for an open dialogue regarding the DMCA issued to OpenSea requesting the delisting of CryptoPhunks.

This letter aims to bring public attention to the issue(s) at hand.

During these formative times in the NFT space, CryptoPhunks aims to push boundaries in order to set the foundation for a future where NFTs can leverage blockchain technology for its strengths: provenance and authenticity.

Phunks poked fun at those who were applying the "old-school" rules of art into this new frontier of NFTs. Deceptive and fraudulent copycats should be mitigated, but Phunks has been a clear parody from the start with no reported cases of a user buying a Phunk thinking it was a Punk. In this project's short lifespan thus far, Phunks have brought in over 1,000 new holders who learned about the Punks' attributes and history. Some even went on to buy a Punk. Others are just happy to have joined a new and accessible community that embraces the philosophies that web3 was built on.

Larva Labs: have you entertained the perspective that altpunk projects create incremental value for Punks by perpetually solidifying their legacy? Where do you draw the line on what is deemed parody and what is not? We've spoken with various attorneys who have agreed that "parody" and "satire" are legal areas that currently stand unclear in light of lawsuits involving Andy Warhol's work. Do you believe that Warhol's iconic Campbell's Soup Cans and the commentary it generated crossed the line as well?

Additionally, Larva Labs has not addressed their own community's questions regarding IP ownership of Punks. Do Punk owners have commercial rights to their Punks? Can Punk owners permit the Phunk of their Punk to exist? Is Larva Labs planning to wipe a bunch of altpunk projects off of OpenSea now that they are a $100m+ company?

The NFT space, Punk Holders, and Phunk Holders need clarity, collaboration, and forward thinkers to pave the way for a decentralized future.

It's time for an awakening in the NFT community. It's time to stand up to censorship resistance, for change beyond our pervasive web2 systems, and for true decentralization. Phunks stand for these principles. What is truly punk can not be stopped. Long live Phunks, on the blockchain, forever.

"If you don't believe me or don't get it, I don't have time to try to convince you, sorry."

Satoshi

Yours Trustlessly.

The Phunks