Found a crafter using my pictures, what to do?

[Designawreath]

I need help. I have found a store that is using MY pictures of My Easter Egg wreath and using it to sell her wreath. I also noticed that the other wreath she is selling, is a picture of someone else's wreath, NOT hers.

I am wondering if any of the items in her shop, she only have 5, are hers or if they are scamming people?

They sold some chocolate covered pears, that looks like someone else's picture also. They sold one of the Easter Egg wreaths, and if a customer thinks it came from me, they will be deeply disappointed.

Plus they make banners which look like another crafter on ETsy, it looks like their pictures...please help.

Lenore

[LaLindaArtStudio]

I would Report them to Etsy. I would also contact them and tell them they do not have permission to use your photos and that they must remove them immediately.

[seemomster]

Report them to Etsy.

[Former_Member]

I would contact them first, then report them to Etsy. I've noticed some shop owners are teenagers and may not know what they are doing...just a thought :)

[LaLindaArtStudio]

If a shop owner is a teenager their parent must take responsibility for what they do on Etsy.

[Designawreath]

Thank you everyone, I have done both. I first contacted the shop owner, she said it was an honest mistake and will take her own picture, but she said she does this as a hobby and is not very technical. I don't understand how it can be an honest mistake if she is using another shop owner's picture as well.

I have also asked her to deactivate the listing until she has her picture on, though I do not think she will.

I hope Etsy checks on this quickly, as I don't want anything bad to happen to my shop, especially the wreath that she is using is a very popular wreath that I have sold a lot of this Easter season.

Lenore

[Former_Member]

Your work is beautiful. They should be ashamed of themselves.

[TheRusticHome]

Well, hopefully now that she knows people are noticing what she is doing she will stop. But I would check on it and make sure she has removed your photo by the end of the day.

[Designawreath]

Thank you everyone. She has removed the listing that had my picture on, plus the listing that had a picture from another shop owner.

I will be watching her very closely to make sure she doesn't use any more of my pictures.

[OodlesOfWhimsy]

Sorry that happened ! Wouldn't it be just as much bother for someone to steal a listing picture as it is to list their own ?? Wonder if the shop is new and was planning to take orders and run. No excuse for stealing.

[PiecesOfMePaperCraft]

She was certainly tech savvy enough to steal someone else's photo.

[seemomster]

Exactly, Judy.

[BerkshireCollections]

Sent you some hearted love, b/c I think this is terrible

[Former_Member]

I'm glad you found out about it and that she's stopped. I doubt her completed wreath will look as good as yours and I'll bet her photos won't either! We all have to "pay our dues".

[PaintedSea]

I am glad that you spoke up, and it got resolved quickly. One bright spot, your work is so enviable and fantastic that people want to copy it. ;) But seriously, sorry!

[Designawreath]

So, need some advice again. This shop is at it again, but now she has other shops wreaths in her shop. Originally I did contact two other shop owners because she used their pictures, and she did end up removing those listings. But now, she has two more wreaths, that are from other shops.

What do I do, do I get involved? I was checking on her shop just to make sure she is not using my pictures and then I recognized one of my competitors shops picture, another popular wreath that is selling very well.

I do not want to create a problem with my shop on Etsy, I don't want to look like I am going after a shop owner, I just want to make sure she is not using my pictures again.

Any advice,

Lenore

[MadScientistsDesigns]

Contact the other shop owner and let them deal with her.

[heartsabustin]

Report her to Etsy - or have the other shop owners do it. Send her shop, along with the other shops she's stealing from to abuse@etsy.com - Trust and Safety should take care of it, because she's violating other shop owner's copyrights. You might contact the other shop owners and have them do the same thing. It's not right, and you don't need to let this go. If they have to, Etsy will (or they should) shut her down if she doesn't comply.

[RomaMiaTradingCo]

Yeah, I would contact the other shop owners and let them know. Now that she's continuing to do this, it is no longer an "honest mistake." She's blatantly stealing from other shops. I can understand that she might have gotten permission to use photos in one or two of her items, but at least credit the photos back to the original person. I would than report the person to Etsy and have the other shops report her as well.

[thesetinytreasures]

One other suggestion for you, is that you could include a small watermark on your pictures. It prevents others from using your pictures.

[Designawreath]

Thank you everyone, Nikki, I didn't even think about that, I guess it isn't an honest mistake any more. And Amber, one of the pictures has the name of either another shop or of a photographer that took the picture, on the picture.