Getting "Sorry, this item is unavailable in your region." when checking my listing in my own region

[TimeAndPlaceTrading]

Hello! I am a new seller on Etsy and for some reason am getting the "sorry, this item is unavailable in your region." while checking on my listing from the same region I am having it shipped and sold from. A couple friends I sent the link to said the same thing. Weirdly, I am not getting the issue when checking the listing on the Etsy iOS app. 

I have seen many other posts about this topic but seemingly all around around plants or errors with search terms related to plants. I have none on my listing as it is a sweatshirt meant to celebrate a racing event coming up. 

Perhaps there's something I'm missing but I can't find a solid solution anywhere. I also apologize as this error has indeed been posted about but, again, the errors have uniformly seemed to be specifically about plant sales and genuine issues where someone is indeed selling internationally - and I am not. I'm stumped. 

Thanks so much in advance for any assistance you might be able to provide! 

[PlatypusDream]

Wow, the licensing must have been expensive!

[TimeAndPlaceTrading]

I am certainly playing off of a classic graphic but I see many listings with a completely unaltered graphic with a brand name blatantly front and center still up - am I missing something? I figured mine was significantly varied enough to be safe but maybe that's a poor assumption. 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1468442517/vintage-monaco-grand-prix-t-shirt-car?click_key=cb63e946c40c...

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1540718637/vintage-monaco-grand-prix-sweatshirt-car?ga_order=most_relev...

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1550506388/vintage-monaco-grand-prix-t-shirt-car?ga_order=most_relevant...

[PlatypusDream]

@TimeAndPlaceTrading 

Vintage trademarked items are allowed to be sold.

MODERN made items need licensing to use famous institution's intellectual property. The Chicago Grand Prix name is owned by Formula 1 Racing, and they have very deep pockets.

Have you obtained legal licensing to use the name?

If not, the company, and Etsy, would consider them illegal counterfeits.

[TimeAndPlaceTrading]

@PlatypusDream Thank you very much for your response!

Really? Wow that's surprising. 

So the listings I shared above are technically legal even though they're using a brand name and graphic that are certainly owned by a party other than the seller? Not to be blunt or disrespectful but I can't imagine an etsy shop with fewer than 50 sales has a license to sell that if required. It's worth noting these links to other folks' products are not genuine vintage items - or at least I can't imagine they are as you can specify your size and preferred color. 

Thank you again - just getting started here and this helps me figure out what sort of designs I'll focus on creating. I figured this was on the edge but also safe enough. I'll be shifting my strategy if not. 

(Also - to note - Chicago Grand Prix is not a trademark because it doesn't exist. There has been and is no planned Grand Prix in Chicago. That was meant to be a fantasy "what if" scenario playing off of vintage formula 1 posters. The sweatshirt and item in question did mention "Las Vegas Grand Prix" which is a real event that is happening for the first time this year. But there are no logos or direct trademarks on the design. How does a shop sell an item like this: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1493378493/embroidery-magikarp-pro-shops-hat-anime?ga_order=most_releva... that is clearly a take on bass pro shop's logo and uses a character that is the intellectual property of another party?)

[PlatypusDream]

@TimeAndPlaceTrading 

Like they say in Vegas...

Roll those dice!

(Good luck)

[Amaradorn]

@TimeAndPlaceTrading the shirts with the Marlboro logo are new copies aka trademark infringements or counterfeit. They are not even true vintage, only vintage graphics or vintage style. However it's up to the trademark holder to police their own IP so Etsy does not remove them because they don't know who has a licence to make reprints. 

Once reported however the listing will be removed. Trademark holders can also set up account and use the IP Reporting Portal to flag counterfeits - I'm not entirely sure how that works and whether Etsy can then use bots to automatically deactivate listings which are potential infringements, but we have seen such activity to suggest that might be a thing for the larger well-known brands. 

[TimeAndPlaceTrading]

@Amaradorn 
@PlatypusDream 

This is what I get for figuring that if someone else got away with something that I would too. 

Thanks, all, for your help. I was recently laid off from a job I held for years and hope to use this platform to make a bit of income on the side through my passion for cars and such.

I'll plan on restrategizing here and on making pieces that don't get so close to the line. 

Cheers!

[Amaradorn]

UK: and your listing is blocked for me.

The only think I know is blocked in the UK is knives.

[TimeAndPlaceTrading]

It certainly isn't a knife haha

[Amaradorn]

@TimeAndPlaceTrading if you are using mock-ups with props (shoes etc) then it's possible you have a brand logo there that the bots are picking up - but if that was the case the listing would be deactivated rather than restricted by region. It must be something else.

[TimeAndPlaceTrading]

@Amaradorn 

True!

I think it was the IP issue though. There weren't references, words, imagery, or anything close to a knife. 

[JMOldeVintage]

@TimeAndPlaceTrading  - I would strongly suggest you read this:

https://www.etsy.com/seller-handbook/article/the-ultimate-guide-to-intellectual/22398703823

[TimeAndPlaceTrading]

This is helpful, thank you! 

[DancewearFashion]

It's alot of sellers experiencing this especially in the swim/lingerie dept. It's a bug in etsy, I already spoke to them. 

[SissilyDesigns]

What did they say? 

[TimeAndPlaceTrading]

Really? Do you possibly recommend I reach out to Etsy as well or historically have these errors worked themselves out on their own.

[MyHeartAndArmour]

I do masks and costumes and am having this issue as well. as a consequence, I'm not getting any orders. This is my busy season so I'm really worried about the low orders. What did they say? Did they give an eta on when it might be fixed?

[APrints]

I am getting the same thing, for a poster I designed. My copyright.

[TimeAndPlaceTrading]

Very odd - for a completely unique design you've made yourself?

[Amaradorn]

@APrints someone else suggested that it might be due to a new bot looking for explicit images of human bodies (possibly linked to the new policy regarding photos of minors). Obviously this bot is badly programmed, but your  poster which has been restricted does show the front of a naked person - albeit an educational drawing, so I'm guessing it might be the reason.

(ETA: it's both acupuncture posters which are restricted)

ALSO - I only just saw your post further down, but I think you could be correct.

[JDTotesnDolls]

I'm getting it too.  Unfortunately it means I won't be buying today.

Hope buyers don't get too mad and leave altogether.

The system is also very slow to load.  Part of the reason is my ISP but even when that is wonky Etsy usually loads fine.  Not this time.

Bummer.

[TimeAndPlaceTrading]

As an update - I've uploaded a couple additional products today - one was initially also experiencing this issue but now seems to be up again, the other luckily (fingers crossed) seems to have successfully stayed up for most of today as of this writing. 

[localtanuki]

I sell custom digital art and bases of regular animals like dogs and cats, yet most of my listings are unavailable as well! I'm assuming it is a bug, but I am a college student so this helps pay most of my tuition. I hope the issue gets fixed soon, cause none of my items are NSFW nor have any copyrighted material in it.