Shop name copying? doe re me vs me re doe?

[PlanetOpal]

Given the example above , If you had a store named "doe re me" how would you feel if someone started a store called "me re doe" and was selling the same thing? Etsy has basically said tough luck when I queried this and I'm not happy about it at all.

[GroundZeroCreations]

Not sure what the problem is. You are always going to have competition. There are more important things to worry about in my opinion.

[PlanetOpal]

Yes I realize that., Just annoying as it'll probably get a few sales on the back of my hard work

[audreytherese]

Anyone that is successful in any way will always run the risk of someone else copying them and getting a few sales because of their hard work. 

Annoying, yes. But unless the brand is registered and you can prove brand confusion due to this, then that's all it is. Annoying. 

[GroundZeroCreations]

@PlanetOpal I don't see that happening. Your stones are polished/finished and refined stones. The stones they are selling are mostly rough, raw, and unpolished. So I think the target market is likely going to be different.

I don't quite understand why you would think any sales they make would be on the back of your hard work though. 

After I looked the other shop up, I really doubt they had any nefarious intent with their store name. Even if they tried to claim PlanetOpal in the beginning, the choice of OpalPlanet was likely more of an effort to have a name that they had already developed a fondness for. They have very few products and they don't even have shop policies set up. With missing shop policies and very few listings, they are unlikely to be ranked well in search results. 

[FlippinBroadsJewelry]

Given your example, I looked at the "me re doe" store and they may not have "copied" you intentionally.  However, you have far prettier and unique stones and you have 900+ more sales so I am sure that your shop/products will be seen much more often than the others.  There are millions of sellers and having a name similar to another is probably not that rare. JMO

[MirageRiverCreations]

Unless it is an exact copy, which Etsy won’t allow, it’s not a problem. To be honest, there’s a good chance there was no copying because the words in your store name are just every day words and someone else might actually have just thought of the same thing. Now if your shop was called “Blankensnorp” and someone else named theirs “Snorpblanken” you’d have an argument. With common words, though, any shop that was competition could come up with the same concept. In my shop’s case, anyone might come up with the same concept without being my direct competition. There’s nothing new under the sun.

[Amaradorn]

The only rules for Etsy shop names are the following:

• must be unique (never used before by anyone, ever)
• up to 20 characters with no spaces or punctuation

Other than that it can be anything you like. However if someone tried to use a name which was a registered trademark then I think they might be risking a trademark infringement case especially if the goods sold are in the same class as the trademark. Therefore the only way to protect your shop name is to get it registered as a trademark. Similar names probably won't infringe - you would have to be able to prove (in court) that it was causing confusion.

[CoquetteBath]

so, this happened to me, with my other shop name, quite some time ago.

This was the reason I changed my biz name and back 'when' you had to start over. And I had over 200 sales so it bit. But, someone took that biz name and added 'shop' to the end of it.

my customers were confused. Hers thought they bought from me. And would be sending lots of emails asking where their order was, etc.  I asked her to change it since I was here first, and due to the confusion, and she was like 'nope'.

And, of course, we both were in the same genre. 

bottom line, I had enough of that...and changed my biz name, and less than a year later, she apparently closed up.

No idea why some folks do that/whatever.

In your case...given what you are selling, there are not that many ways to do it. BUT, I can certainly understand.

You are aware, though, that you have zero protection because of items over $250 USD? Personally, I'd be VERY unlikely to list anything major priced here due to that.

but of course, this is your biz to run & good luck.

[PlanetOpal]

What's the above 250 US no protection? I Insure everything with client for the higher end sale

[BagmakerSupply]

@PlanetOpal: The reference was to the dollar limit of the 'Purchase Protection Program for Sellers' https://www.etsy.com/legal/policy/purchase-protection-program-for-sellers/34509585385

[Vintorious]

I would be upset, for sure. Not really much you can do about it, short of putting something on your shop's page to let customers know you are not the same. But that would just confuse people who aren't aware of the other shop! Just focus on what you do, and try not to let it worry you. The fake-a-doodle shop is either lacking imagination, or just too lazy for you to be too concerned about. 

[DragoninKnots]

There are two words in your shop name, and one of them is what you sell. Many businesses are named "(product) Planet" or "Planet (product)". The other seller likely came up with the name before realizing your shop exists.

[TinLizziAntiques]

OP, you can fight this obvious attempt to imitate your shop, but probably not on Etsy. Hire a lawyer, register your shop name and brand as a trademark, and have your lawyer send a letter to your competition. Good luck.

[MaynardMillinery]

They could have called themselves PlanetOpal2 and it would have been perfectly Etsylegal.

[AnniebelloPaper]

When new sellers try a name and don't get it because it's taken, Etsy suggests to swap the words or add a number. It's not always a conscious decision on the seller's part to 'copy' a name. As long as they don't use your shop name as a tag in their listings, I would let it go and be your best shop.

[CirclesOfStoneShop]

I agree with @AnniebelloPaper, years ago when I first started here someone had already taken the name I wanted but never opened a shop. I already had my .com for years and was selling on ArtFire under the CirclesOfStone name. I ended up adding the word "Shop" to the end of my name to get close to what I originally wanted. These days there are several shops with very close sounding names to mine with varies endings. Frustrating but I assume they ran in to the same problem I did when trying to grab a name when first starting here.

[irmaKdesigns]

At this point it must be difficult to come up with original Etsy shop name. I am surprised opal planet was still available. It's a good name for a shop that sells, well... opals.

@PlanetOpal you could register opal planet (still available) domain before it's taken so there'll be no confusion with your website.

[PrimFun]

@PlanetOpal   Unless you have trademarked your name and other versions of your name, honestly there is nothing wrong with the other seller using an inversion of your name.  It will happen because a lot of names are gone and people struggle to find names.

I suggest looking into trademarking your name. 

[digitaldoodlebug]

A trademark would be your only option. It protects not just the name but brand confusion. For example someone can't sell coffee called starbuks without getting sued or a cease desist letter (or planetstarbucks). Though how much protection your name has depends on how unique it is and well known it is. Selling opals under planetopal is descriptive and does not have as much legal protection as an opal shop called Blankensnorp. (love that. I can never come up with nonsensical names)