Listing deactivationIP-1 · Intellectual Property Policy

Listings must not use another party's trademark without authorization

What this rule means

A trademark is a name, logo, slogan, or look that tells buyers who made a product. You may not use another company's trademark in a way that suggests your item comes from them or is approved by them. If a brand owner reports your listing, Etsy can remove it. Using a brand name in your title, tags, or photos is the most common way sellers run into this rule.

What Etsy says

Even if they otherwise meet our marketplace criteria, prohibited items, services, and items that violate our intellectual property policies are not allowed to be sold on Etsy.

Read Etsy's full Intellectual Property Policy

Why Etsy has this rule

Trademarks protect buyers as much as brand owners. A shopper who sees a famous name expects the item to be what that name promises. If sellers can borrow the name freely, buyers are misled and the brand loses control of its reputation. Etsy removes listings when it receives a report that follows its policy, and it expects you to check your own listings first.

Trademark is different from copyright. Copyright protects a creative work, such as a drawing or a photo. A trademark protects the words, logos, and marks that identify a source. A listing can break one rule, the other, or both. A plain sweatshirt with a famous sports logo is a trademark problem even though you never copied a drawing.

Common mistakes

Putting a brand name in the title or tags, such as a sneaker maker, a fashion house, or a theme park, to pull in shoppers who search for it.
Believing that 'inspired by' or 'style of' in front of a brand name makes the listing safe, when the listing still uses the brand's name to sell your item.
Showing a logo or wordmark in your product photos, for example a branded box, a tag, or a patch you did not make.
Describing an item as 'official', 'licensed', or 'authentic' without a written license from the brand.
Using a team name, band name, or school name on shirts, mugs, or banners because you support the group.
Naming your own shop or product after a name that is close to an existing brand, such as one letter changed or a word added.
Listing a similar item under a new title after the first listing was removed. That can count as another violation.
Adding claims to a genuine resold item that suggest the brand sells it or approves it, when you should use the brand name only to say what the item is.

Examples

AllowedYou sell a hand-painted denim jacket with your own design and describe it with plain words such as colors, fabric, and size.
AllowedYou use a brand name once in a listing for a genuine, secondhand item, only to state what the item is, with no claim that the brand approves your shop.
AllowedYou hold a written license from a brand and keep a copy of it on file for the products it covers.
AllowedYou pick a shop name after a search shows no similar brand in the same kind of product.
Not allowedYou list a tote bag with a large designer logo and put the designer's name in the title.
Not allowedYou title a phone case 'inspired by' a luxury label and add the label's name to your tags.
Not allowedYou describe handmade shirts as 'official' merchandise for a band without any permission.
Not allowedYou post a photo that shows a famous cartoon mascot's logo on your packaging.

How to stay compliant

Search your listings for any registered brand name, logo reference, or trademarked character name used in titles, descriptions, or tags without written authorization.
Remove trademarked terms from titles and tags entirely. Do not substitute 'inspired by [Brand]' in the title — this still uses the trademark and is still risky.
If you hold a genuine license or authorization from the rights holder, add documentation to your shop and state clearly in the listing that the item is officially licensed.
For fan-art or inspired-by items, describe your original design without naming the source IP: use descriptive terms (colors, style, theme) instead of the brand name.
If you received a takedown notice, do not relist the same item under a different title — Etsy tracks listing content and repeat listings escalate to account suspension.

Effort: medium · 1-4 hours

If your suspension email cites this rule

Read the email and note which listings it names and which brand made the report. Look at each listing as the brand owner would. Check the title, tags, description, photos, and even the labels on your packaging. If a brand name or logo appears, remove it, and check your other listings for the same name. Do not delete your shop or open a new one to get around a report.

If the email is a notice under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), that is a legal takedown process, and Etsy's notice explains the response options. Many trademark reports arrive through Etsy's general intellectual property reporting process instead. Etsy accepts counter notices for US-based copyright reports only, so a trademark report has no counter notice. In either case, decide honestly whether your item really uses the mark. If you hold a license or believe the report is wrong, collect your proof, such as the license or records showing the item is genuine. Etsy makes the final decision, and a calm, accurate reply that explains what you changed works better than a defensive one.

Suspended over this rule?

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

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Common questions

Can I use a brand name in my title if my item is genuine?

Only if the name is needed to say what the item is, for example a genuine secondhand item you resell. Do not suggest the brand made your listing, approves it, or is connected to your shop. A brand name used only to attract searches is likely to be reported.

Does 'inspired by' protect me from a trademark report?

No. The words still use the brand's name to help sell your item, and the owner can still report the listing. Describe your item with its own style, color, and materials instead.

What is the difference between a trademark and a copyright?

A trademark protects names, logos, and marks that identify who makes a product. A copyright protects creative works such as drawings, photos, and writing. A single listing can break both rules, and Etsy can remove it for either.

Can I name my shop after a word that is also a brand?

It can cause trouble if the name is the same as, or close to, a brand in a similar kind of product. Search for the name first, and choose a name that does not point buyers to another company.

What happens if I keep listing items that use a brand name?

Each report is recorded, and Etsy's policy allows it to end selling privileges when a seller gets repeat or multiple reports. Etsy does not publish a set number, so treat every report as serious.