Creativity Policy Violation – Etsy’s Process Is Broken and Hurting Legitimate Sellers

[johnsbrana]

Hi Etsy Sellers and Support,

I’m a longtime Etsy seller reaching out in hopes of finally getting some clarity and accountability around recent Creativity Policy Violations that are affecting my shop.

One of my original handmade copper cuff bracelet listings was recently deactivated without any detailed explanation. This is now the second time in three months I’ve had a listing removed for a so-called Creativity Standards issue—despite the fact that I personally handcraft all of my jewelry and have been doing so professionally for over 20 years.

When I reached out to Etsy support, I was told:

“Once a listing is deactivated, we cannot provide further assistance on why it was deactivated or reinstate the listing.”

That’s not just unhelpful—it’s unreasonable.

I photograph all of my own products, own the copyright to every image used, and have my name Trademarked. Unfortunately, some of my images have been stolen by overseas manufacturers—most commonly in India and Turkey—who use them to test demand on other platforms, then swap them out with their own mass-produced items once sales begin. I’m already working to address this through cease-and-desist efforts, but as many small business owners know, it’s an uphill battle—especially when dealing with fraudsters based abroad.

If Etsy’s automated systems are flagging authentic handmade work simply because images are being misused elsewhere without context, then Etsy is penalizing the very creators who built this platform.

To make matters worse, Etsy provides no way to appeal or escalate these issues. The chat function is essentially a dead end, and I’ve only received canned replies that repeat the policy without ever explaining what specifically triggered the violation. Sellers deserve better. At the very least, we should be told what caused the issue so we can fix it properly—if there even is something to fix.

If Etsy continues down this path of holding sellers accountable for the behavior of image thieves, and offers no real support or transparency, creators will eventually decide that it’s not worth staying.

I’ve been on Etsy since 2006, have maintained a 5-star rating, and I’m proud of the work I create. But Etsy’s lack of communication and one-size-fits-all enforcement is making it harder than ever to trust the system.

Has anyone been able to get a real answer or escalate your case?

Thanks for reading,

John S. Brana

[Beadcomber]

I'm so sorry you're experiencing that and also sorry I don't have an answer for you. Etsy sellers, especially long time sellers who know soooo many of the answers to questions and are extremely the most helpful support in the Fora, deserve better. Unpaid volunteers that Etsy counts on. I've been here since 2007. The AI bots have run amuck and like you said chat is nothing but outsourced canned replies. Unless Etsy invests more in actual help instead of relying on AI, sellers will leave. Etsy used to be K.I.S.S....keep it simple silly. Now one has to be an Etsy Expert with all the laws and regulations, even if just domestic, there should be more protection and answers for sellers who do everything right. 

I hope you receive a helpful answer. I just wanted to say I agree with everything you said

[OneEyeCatStudio]

I know of a couple of very, very successful Etsy sellers who mostly sell on other sites now because of this. These are sellers whose unique handmade products brought people to Etsy to shop.

Etsy cannot decide whether they are cheap or whether they are unique, so they seem to be killing off everyone on either side of that fence.

Seriously, how can this end well?

[CraftyCornishMaids]

you are responsible for policing your own IP

Issue takedown notices to the sites that have them

and also report them to google

...

basically, they are using your own photos, to steal sales from you

and etsy has to pay a lot of money to search engines, like google, to compete with your stolen images

Etsy can't issue takedowns, only you can

[johnsbrana]

I’ve been selling online for over 20 years and have issued my fair share of cease and desist notices—so yes, policing your own IP is a given. The bigger issue here is that Etsy doesn’t provide sellers with any due process. They assume guilt without context and pass judgment without allowing us a chance to respond.

How about notifying us of the specific offense first—giving us the opportunity to correct or clarify—before jumping straight to suspension or punishment? That would go a long way in making the system fairer for the legitimate creators they claim to support.

[CraftyCornishMaids]

Etsy wants unique,

they want us to do our job

they don't want a discussion about it

[cindylouwho2]

"Has anyone been able to get a real answer or escalate your case?" Yup, I've written extensively about this elsewhere, but can't link to it here. This has been going on for close to 2 years. I had one of my items removed last year but got it back in a week. For other people, it can take 2 months or more. 

Good luck! 

[CanningCrafts]

Sorry you are going through this. It has affected many other sellers too. You mentioned you were currently doing cease & desist efforts. Have you had any luck with DMCA takedowns yet? I know in the past, some sellers were able to present their evidence of issuing those photo takedowns to Etsy to get their removed items reinstated. But I'm not sure if that is still possible now or if it is just a matter of which support person you get at Etsy. But after you get photos removed from the offending websites, you can try to present that evidence to Etsy.

[johnsbrana]

I’ve had solid success in the past handling DMCA takedowns and trademark infringements, especially with domestic websites and even with Amazon infringers—both in the U.S. and internationally. However, I haven’t yet tackled infringers on platforms like Alibaba, Temu, and similar marketplaces. I’m currently in the process of registering with Alibaba’s IPP platform to start addressing that. But again, without Etsy disclosing the reason behind a takedown, it's like shooting in the dark—how can we fix or fight what we don’t even know?

[CanningCrafts]

Yeah, I get what you're saying! Etsy likes to be vague... but some sellers have also gotten specific confirmation on what the issue was. I think it just depends on the support person.

Did you find the specific bracelet you had removed on infringing websites where you recently issued a successful takedown? If so, maybe you can assume it was because it was copied & try to appeal to Etsy based on that? I'm just guessing, but that may be worth a try. Good luck!

[ArtDollsbyJD]

Have you issued DMCA to the sites that have taken your photos?  That's one of the steps.  If it didn't happen the first time around then the bots finding it again....

Is the copper cuff bracelet like the others in your shop?  I found photos of the same type of cuff bracelet (not the same photo) other places.  I looked for the copper and gold.   I just wonder if the the simplicity of the design makes for easy takedown because it is such a beautiful design and popular.

I don't know if there is any real answer to this.  You may want to consider having the bracelet for sale elsewhere such as your website.

[MixedBagMosaics]

Maybe it's just me, but I barely have time to make my products, order supplies, do bookwork, respond to buyers, and carefully ship orders I receive. How do sellers have time for a long, drawn-out fight with someone who steals from them after spending way too much time looking for the thieves?

[KanjaniCraft]

I have had success with DCMA takedowns with Shein, Amazon, temu but never with Alibaba. But I do report the Ali listings to Google which seems to help.

[ColorfulCastAndCrew]

I was playing whack-a-mole a while back with my images being stolen and listed for sale on these weird, unheard of, random websites. I had success getting the images removed by reporting them to Google. These sites were obviously all owned by one entity, because as soon as one image would get taken down it would be quickly replaced by another, on a different, strangely named website. Regardless, I kept at it for about a month. Google was pretty quick in taking down the images and eventually they stopped popping up,  I guess the siteholder just tired of me and moved onto another target. Ever since this happened I run scheduled searches to see if my images are being stolen again.

I'm sorry this is happening to you, it's an awful feeling, good luck with getting it straightened out. Once you do get it straightened out I really hope Etsy does the right thing and reinstates your listings. I would follow @cindylouwho2 's blog. Google her name to get access to it, she provides a wealth of information!  Good luck.

[GroundZeroCreations]

I’m really sorry you're going through this—it must be incredibly frustrating to have your listing removed without a clear explanation. Unfortunately, I suspect the issue lies less in clear-cut image theft and more in how Etsy is employing AI and automated systems to issue takedown notices.

AI still has significant limitations when it comes to understanding subtle distinctions, especially with handmade or custom work. What might appear to be an identical product to an algorithm could be quite different to a human eye—details, materials, craftsmanship, and intent all play a role. These are the nuances that give handmade items their value, and right now, automated systems aren't yet sophisticated enough to fairly judge those differences.

Given these limitations, I don’t believe any platform should rely solely on AI to flag and remove listings—especially without providing a clear and transparent explanation to the seller. If a takedown is due to a DMCA claim, sellers should absolutely be given the filer’s name and contact details, as is standard practice. Transparency helps everyone understand and resolve issues more constructively.

As for Etsy’s emphasis on "unique" items, it's worth acknowledging that in today’s global market, where many creators are inspired by similar trends, techniques, and materials, some overlap is inevitable. That doesn’t diminish the value or uniqueness of each individual piece, but it does mean the idea of complete exclusivity is increasingly difficult to define.

Sending support to anyone affected by these kinds of takedowns. It’s not an easy situation, and I hope Etsy takes steps to improve how these cases are handled in the future.