Listing deactivationIP-4 · Intellectual Property Policy

Fan art and derivative works based on copyrighted characters require authorization

What this rule means

Fan art of a character from a film, show, game, or book is a copy of someone else's creation, even when you draw it yourself. To sell it on Etsy, you need permission from the owner, usually a written license. Without a license, the owner can report your listing and Etsy can remove it. Hinting at a character without naming it does not solve this.

What Etsy says

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

Characters are valuable. Studios, game makers, and publishers earn money by deciding who can make products that show their characters. When a seller prints a popular character on a sticker or a shirt, the seller takes a share of that market without a license. Owners search Etsy for these listings and report them.

Many sellers are fans, and fan art feels harmless. The rule does not judge your intent or your skill. It asks whether your item shows a character that belongs to someone else, and whether you have permission to sell it. Etsy removes listings when it receives a valid report and expects sellers to check their own rights first.

Common mistakes

Selling a drawing of a character from a popular film, show, game, or book because you drew it yourself.
Using a character's name, or a franchise or fandom name, in your tags to reach fans who search for them.
Using coded titles such as 'the boy who lived' or 'galaxy protector' to point at a character while avoiding its name. The character is still recognizable.
Assuming that a small change, such as a new outfit or a different color, makes a character your own.
Believing that a free fan community, a game's modding rules, or a fan convention gives you the right to sell merchandise.
Buying a character pattern or digital file from another seller and assuming it comes with a license to sell products.
Reposting a removed design under a different title, which Etsy can treat as a repeat and which can lead to account-level action.
Leaving old fan art listings up because nobody has reported them yet. A report can arrive at any time.

Examples

AllowedYou sell a print of your own original character that you designed and own.
AllowedYou sell a design that evokes a genre or a mood, such as cozy fantasy, without showing any specific protected character.
AllowedYou sell products with a licensed character, you hold a written commercial license from the owner, and you keep the license on file.
AllowedYou make an item for a franchise after the owner gave you written permission that covers selling it.
Not allowedYou sell stickers of a recognizable character from a popular video game, drawn in your own style.
Not allowedYou sell shirts titled 'the boy who lived' that show a famous wizard's face.
Not allowedYou add a movie franchise's name to the tags of a handmade plush that looks like one of its characters.
Not allowedYou relist a removed character print under a new title with a changed background.

How to stay compliant

Identify any listings that depict or are clearly derived from specific copyrighted characters, franchises, or protected artwork.
If you have a valid commercial license from the rights holder, add that information to the listing description and keep the license documentation on file.
If you do not have a license, remove the listing. Reposting the same design with a different title after a takedown notice escalates to account-level consequences.
For truly original, abstract artwork that is inspired by a genre or aesthetic (but not depicting a specific protected character), update the listing to emphasize the original elements and remove any language that identifies the source IP.
Review all tags and remove any character names or franchise names from listings where you do not hold a license.

Effort: medium · 1-4 hours

If your suspension email cites this rule

Read the email and note the listings it names. Then look at the rest of your shop, because the owner who reported one design may also have seen others. Remove any listing that shows a character you do not have permission to sell. Take the character and franchise names out of tags on any listing where you hold no license. Do not repost the design under a different title.

If you do have a license, find it before you reply, and check that it covers the product and the way you sell it. Many licenses allow only certain products or only digital use. If the license is in order, say so briefly and attach it. If you do not have one, tell Etsy plainly what you removed and what you will do differently, such as selling only original work. Etsy makes the final decision, and repeat or multiple reports can end selling privileges. Be careful about any claim you cannot prove.

Suspended over this rule?

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

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Common questions

Can I sell fan art that I made myself?

Usually not. Making the art yourself does not give you the right to sell a character that belongs to someone else. You need the owner's permission, usually a written license, to sell products that show the character.

Can I sell fan art if I say it is not official?

A disclaimer does not change who owns the character. The owner can still report your listing, and Etsy can remove it. The safer path is original work or a written license.

Does using a code name for a character protect me?

No. If a buyer can tell which character the item shows, the listing still copies it. Coded titles can also look like an attempt to avoid detection.

Where can I get a license to sell a character?

Licenses come from the owner of the character, such as a studio or publisher. Many owners publish licensing contacts on their websites. Ask in writing and keep the answer. Etsy does not grant licenses on behalf of owners.

What if I only sold a few items?

The number sold does not matter to the rule. One listing can be reported and removed. Check your whole shop, because Etsy can end selling privileges for repeat or multiple reports.