The family behind the viral “Charlie Bit My Finger” video announced it will be removing the clip from YouTube permanently after selling it as a nonfungible token, or NFT.
The Davies-Carr family confirmed that the 55-second viral video will be deleted from YouTube’s platform on May 23, following the NFT auction, according to NPR.
“Charlie Bit My Finger has been a huge part of the Davies-Carr family’s lives for the past 14 years, and they are excited to welcome others to become a part of their story,” representatives for the family said in an official statement. “This is not the end of the beloved video, but rather a new beginning.” The stars of the video, 17-year-old Harry and 15-year-old Charlie, added that the auction is “the perfect opportunity to embrace the next iteration of the internet.”
NFTs are a new form of cryptocurrency that pairs each unit sold with original artwork or video clips. The act of buying an NFT — in this case, the original “Charlie Bit My Finger” video — grants the buyer full non-commercial rights to the original work. After purchase, the piece exists in the buyer’s “digital wallet.”
Bidding for the Davies-Carr video opened on May 22, the 14th anniversary of the video being posted online. In addition to owning the video, the highest bidder will get the chance to make their own “Charlie Bit My Finger” parody with the video’s original stars.
Originally posted in May 2007, the “Charlie Bit My Finger” video features a British toddler named Harry holding his baby brother Charlie. The clip takes a hilarious turn when Harry sticks his finger in Charlie’s mouth, and his younger brother responds by biting down. Harry’s proclamation of “Ouch, Charlie!” and “Charlie, that really hurt!” have become iconic in the years since, while the viral video has garnered more than 882 million view counts.
The Davies-Carr family is among several people and industries who’ve recently decided to start using NFTs as a form of currency. In the entertainment world, Fox and Rick and Morty creator Dan Harmon announced in May a new animated series called Krapopolis, which will be the first of its kind curated on the blockchain. Also, it was recently announced that Stan Lee’s original webisodes will be auctioned off as NFTs.
Source: NPR
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