The Search Box in my Shop is not working

[DesignsByJDRLLC]

Has anyone else checked their store search box to be sure it works properly?  Mine hasn't for months. I have been in 3 chat help sessions and each time they can't figure it out and say they are referring my issue to 'engineering' but I have never heard back and it still doesn't work.

[NanaLetha · Accepted solution]

It is working. I just tried it.

[DesignsByJDRLLC]

Can you please try 'Bengals' and see if anything comes up? Thank you!

[WalkerMommyDesigns]

My search bar works in desktop web browser, but it doesn't work in the Sell On Etsy app when I view my shop in the app.

[nineteen27]

you are correct.

etsy is not allowing anyone to enter the full NFL trademarked team name into your search bar.

you can search for raiders or las vegas but las vegas raiders is not working.

it must be a new thing.

[DesignsByJDRLLC]

I should have mentioned that if you enter raiders or bears, their bikinis come up but nothing else.  If you type in bengals (that has no bikinis but lots of other stuff), nothing comes up at all. It's a bit frustrating.

[nineteen27]

maybe the cincinnati bengals do not want their items showing up.

did you ask them?

[OneEyeCatStudio]

Etsy has been cracking down on IP infringement recently. They seem to be using bots, so be careful.

If this happened to me, I would temporarily deactivate any item that requires licensing that doesn't show up.
Because the next step could be a full shop shut down.

Take a look at other threads regarding this.

[DesignsByJDRLLC]

It is legal to sew/sell an item made from licensed fabric because the trademark owner has been paid a fee for the use of the trademark (as long as you don't claim the item is licensed).  The illegal ones are when they use a trademark where a fee has not been paid on it (for example, embroidering or painting a trademarked logo on an item and then selling it).

[Marmalady]

Many (if not all) of such licensed fabric are "for personal use only" -- and often have this printed on the selvedge.

Licensing does not pass from the fabric manufacturer to you as seller of items made from the fabric.

[BagmakerSupply]

@DesignsByJDRLLC  : We used to do work for a wholesale quilting fabric distributor and the general rule is that any license for copyright or trademark that the fabric manufacturer has DOES NOT pass to the purchaser of the fabric especially if the item using the fabric is for made for sale.

[DesignsByJDRLLC]

I understand that everyone has an opinion about selling items made from licensed fabric but what I am having a problem with is the search box in my store.  Please let me know if you have any ideas regarding that.  For example, I can enter 'bears' and nothing comes up but if I enter 'bears panties', all bears items pop up.  This is what I was asking about. Thank you.

[OneEyeCatStudio]

"I understand that everyone has an opinion about selling items made from licensed fabric ..."

This isn't a matter of everyone's opinion. Apparently you are not aware that we are actually warned away by Etsy from helping someone who is selling on the site illegally.

The last two rules concerning using the Etsy Community are ...

• Don't engage in illegal activity or activity that infringes someone's intellectual property, or encourage others to engage in that type of activity.
• Don't use community spaces to encourage others to violate Etsy's policies.

https://www.etsy.com/ie/legal/community/#:~:text=To%20make%20sure%20that%20the,public%20areas%20of%2...

[DesignsByJDRLLC]

Again, it is legal to sell items made from licensed fabric as long as we don't try to pass the items off as licensed items (which of course we do not). I have case law I can show you.  This was about a search box issue, not a licensed fabric issue.  Thank you anyway!

[TheVintagePineapple]

It's not a glitch in the search system, it is working correctly.   It's because you didn't use the word 'panties' anywhere on the 3 listings that show up when searching 'bears'.    Panties isn't in the title, desc or tags.   Thirteen results showed for bears panties because you used those words in 2-3 places in each listing.   The same reason could be applied to any team listing you have.

FYI - the other replies are correct.  You can't use the fabric or the team names to sell your stuff.   You're using their IP, names and images, to make money on things that the teams did not license.   Fabric such as this is for personal use only.  If and when the IP owners find your shop, I guess you can try explaining your reasoning why you can sell them.