When people make fun of NFTs on Crypto Twitter, one of their go-to phrases is “I can just right-click and save as”, meaning they can also “own” an NFT simply by saving the image. So, where did this meme come from and why is it so prevalent? Read on to find out!

What Does “Right-Click, Save As” Mean? 

The original meaning of “right-click, save as” simply refers to the act of saving an image on a web page. Recently, it’s gained traction as a crypto Twitter meme where you can “steal” somebody’s NFT simply by right-clicking and saving the image to your computer. 

This is a very common occurrence on NFT Twitter, especially when holders post pictures of their NFTs or use NFT profile pictures. When you look at their replies, there will inevitably be right-click savers trying to “dunk on” the NFT holder by saving their image. 

How Did This Meme Start? 

The right-click, save as meme started around 2020 when crypto art was gaining traction on social media. People would post their Bored Ape Yacht Club, CryptoKitties, or other crypto art project pieces on social media to show off, and others would mock them by right-clicking and saving them. 

This is meant to make fun of the fact that, while the holders paid thousands or even millions of dollars for the piece, you can simply save it and get their digital assets for free. Sometimes, people also use it to criticize the environmental impact of NFTs, implying it’s a “scam”. 

Another NFT skeptic meme that rose in popularity alongside “right-click, save as” is screenshotting NFTs. It follows the same logic – if you can have the image on your computer for free, why pay thousands for it? These two memes then became a staple among NFT skeptics and are sometimes even used in a self-deprecating way among NFT diehards.

Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid Of Right-Click Savers

You shouldn’t be afraid of people saving your hard-earned NFT pieces because it won’t do anything to your ownership. In fact, when you buy an NFT, you don’t actually buy the art. You buy its ownership certificate to store in your digital wallet. 

Think of NFT ownership like this – there are thousands of Mona Lisa pictures and reproductions around the world, but the real one is undoubtedly owned by the Louvre and stored in its museum. 

Other subject matter experts say that owning an NFT isn’t about owning the art, it’s about owning the directions to the museum where the art is placed. Similar to the Louvre analogy, you’re the only one who knows where the real art piece is stored, while right-click savers can only save an identical image that’s not the real thing. 

What You Can Do With Your Owned Non-Fungible Tokens

No matter how many times somebody saves your NFT, you’ll still be its rightful owner. Being the rightful owner of nonfungible tokens on the blockchain allows you to do things such as:

Make Profit From Trading In The Secondary Market

Like physical assets, NFTs can be traded to others on the secondary market. And just like many other assets, they tend to increase in value over time. There are many ways to make money from trading NFTs, whether it’s flipping them quickly for profit or holding it so it increases in value before selling them off. 

Get Access To Events

Some digital tokens act as “tickets” that provide entry into exclusive online or offline events. In addition to entry, the NFT also acts as a digital souvenir of the event.

Gain In-Game Perks

With digital tokens making headway into video games, some game studios have started selling NFTs as in-game items. While some may be simply cosmetic items, others may also give you perks and advantages that you can only get by owning the NFT. 

Enter Exclusive Project Communities

Many NFT projects like Bored Ape Yacht Club have exclusive online communities that can only be accessed by token holders. Since the communities of major NFT collections tend to include celebrities, you can potentially interact with them if you enter that crypto community. 

Show Off To The Cryptocurrency Community

Another common use of NFTs is to simply show off. Buying an expensive NFT to use as a profile picture is nowadays seen as a status symbol, showing the cryptocurrency community on Twitter that you have money to spend and perhaps even good taste in NFTs. 

Closing Thoughts 

Despite its ubiquity among NFT skeptics, people right-click saving your NFT art is pretty much harmless. Since you own the non-fungible token on the blockchain, you can’t lose it unless you decide to sell it to someone else. 

If you’re planning to create an NFT collection yourself, Tokenfy is here to help! Visit our site to see how our NFT launchpad services help NFT creators launch their projects, even without technical know-how.