Listing deactivationIP-2 · Intellectual Property Policy

Listings must not reproduce copyrighted works without authorization

What this rule means

You may only sell work you made yourself or have clear permission to use. If a listing copies a character, artwork, photo, logo, font, or design that belongs to someone else, the owner can report it and Etsy can remove it. Buying a file or owning a copy does not give you the right to resell it.

What Etsy says

Etsy will remove material cited for alleged intellectual property infringement when provided with a report that complies with our policies. Sellers are responsible for ensuring they have all necessary rights to their content and that they are not infringing or violating any third party's rights by posting it.

Read Etsy's full Intellectual Property Policy

Why Etsy has this rule

Copyright gives the person who creates a work control over who copies and sells it. Etsy hosts millions of listings and cannot check each one for rights. So it holds you, the seller, responsible for having every right you need, and it removes listings when a rights holder sends a valid report. The rule protects original creators. It also protects your shop, because a removed listing and a report on your record cost you sales and put your account at risk.

Common mistakes

Selling fan art of a character from a show, film, game, or book. A drawing you made yourself still copies someone else's character.
Using a font, clip art, or template that is licensed for personal use only in a product you sell.
Assuming a design is free to use because you found it on a search engine, a social media post, or a free-download site.
Putting a brand name, logo, or a popular character in the title or tags to attract buyers.
Believing that changing a few details, or adding 'inspired by' to the title, makes a copied design legal.
Relisting a removed item under a new title or in a new listing. Doing so can count as another violation.
Using a licensed image or pattern in a way the license does not cover, such as printing it on products when the license only allows digital use.

Examples

AllowedYou draw an original illustration of your own character and sell it as a print.
AllowedYou buy a font with a commercial license and use it on products you sell, within the terms of that license.
AllowedYou sell a photo you took yourself, or a pattern you designed yourself.
AllowedYou use a character or artwork you do not own, and you hold written permission from the owner that covers selling the item.
Not allowedYou sell stickers that show a character from a popular animated film, drawn in your own style.
Not allowedYou sell a digital download that includes clip art you bought under a personal-use license.
Not allowedYou print a brand logo on mugs and list them as 'inspired by' that brand.
Not allowedYou sell a poster that reproduces a famous painting or photo that is still under copyright and belongs to someone else.

How to stay compliant

Identify listings where the primary image or product design is based on or reproduces a copyrighted work you do not own.
Remove those listings. Do not move the infringing content to a new listing under a different title.
If you received a DMCA notice and believe it was filed in error, you may submit a DMCA counter notice to Etsy — only do this if you have a genuine legal basis (license, original authorship, or fair use argument).
For digital downloads, verify that all fonts, clip art, and design elements used are licensed for commercial resale, not just personal use.
Create original artwork or obtain written commercial licenses before listing any item whose primary value depends on a third party's creative work.

Effort: high · 2-8 hours

If your suspension email cites this rule

Read the email slowly. It usually names the listing and says who reported it. Do not delete your whole shop or open a new one. Opening a new shop to avoid a report makes the situation worse.

If the email is a notice under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), the report came from the rights holder or someone acting for them. First, check each cited listing honestly. If it copies someone else's work, remove it and fix any similar listings in your shop. If you believe the report is wrong, for example because you made the work or hold a license, Etsy's notice explains how to respond with a formal counter notice. A counter notice is a legal statement, so only send one if you have a real basis for it. Keep your proof, such as sketches, original files, or the license, ready before you respond.

Suspended over this rule?

Generate a complete, ready-to-submit Etsy appeal for this exact violation.

Generate your appeal letter

Common questions

Can I sell fan art if I drew it myself?

Usually not. Drawing a character yourself does not give you the right to sell it. The character still belongs to its creator or owner. Sell fan art only with their written permission.

Does 'inspired by' in my title protect me?

No. The words in your title do not change whether the listing copies someone else's protected work. A listing can still be reported and removed.

I bought the design file. Can I resell it on Etsy?

Only if the license allows commercial use and resale in the form you plan to sell. Many files are licensed for personal use only. Read the license before you list the item, and keep a copy of it.

What should I do if I got a DMCA notice by mistake?

Check the listing first. If you made the work or hold a license, gather your proof and follow the response steps in Etsy's notice. A counter notice is a formal legal statement, so send one only when you have a genuine basis.

Can I list the same item again after Etsy removed it?

No. Relisting a removed item, or hiding it behind a new title, can count as another violation. Replace it with original work or get written permission first.