This policy was published on June 15, 2023, and will take effect on July 24, 2023. The previous version of this policy can be viewed here.
For more information on use of Etsy's intellectual property, including guidelines for the use of Etsy's Trademarks and brand, please refer to Etsy's Trademark Policy
This policy is a part of our Terms of Use.
1. Etsy's Role
2. Reports of Intellectual Property Infringement
3. Counter Notices
4. Repeat Infringement
5. Withdrawals
6. Resources
1. Etsy's Role
Etsy is a marketplace comprised of individual third¬-party sellers who run their own shops, create their own policies, and are responsible for their inventory, shipments, and complying with the law. We provide a venue, but Etsy does not manufacture goods, hold inventory, or ship items on behalf of our sellers. The content uploaded on Etsy's marketplace is generated by independent sellers who are not employees, agents, or representatives of Etsy. Sellers are responsible for ensuring they have all necessary rights to their content and that they are not infringing or violating any third party’s rights by posting it.
Etsy reserves the right to disable any listing, shop, or account that we believe violates our Terms of Use, including this Intellectual Property Policy or our Prohibited Items Policy. Etsy also reserves the right to take action against abusers of Etsy’s Intellectual Property Policy or our Terms of Use.
Etsy can’t speak on behalf of intellectual property owners, nor is Etsy in a position to offer legal advice or make legal determinations whether a shop’s content infringes someone else’s intellectual property. Etsy will remove material cited for alleged intellectual property infringement when provided with a report that complies with our policies.
2. Reports of Intellectual Property Infringement
Etsy strives to respond quickly when we receive a report of intellectual property infringement that complies with our policies by removing or disabling access to the allegedly infringing material. When Etsy removes or disables access in response to a report, Etsy makes a reasonable attempt to contact the affected member, provide information about the report and removal, and, in cases of alleged copyright infringement, provide information about how to submit a counter notice. Etsy may also provide a copy of the infringement report, including the name and email address of the reporting party, to the affected member.
To submit a report of alleged infringement against Etsy shop listings, you can use the Etsy Reporting Portal. This is the easiest way to report alleged infringement to Etsy and its Designated Agent under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and other intellectual property rights.
To submit a report of alleged infringement against usernames, shop names, videos on an Etsy shop page, or videos from an Explore post on Etsy, use Etsy’s Reporting Form.
If you are unable to use the Etsy Reporting Portal, you can read more about our DMCA notice requirements and Designated Agent here.
Etsy may request additional information before processing a report, such as a letter of authorization from the rights owner, identity verification of the reporting party, or other documentation regarding the claimed right. Etsy may reject reports of infringement or counter notices that contain information we believe is false, fraudulent, incomplete, or otherwise submitted in bad faith. Etsy also reserves the right to take action against abusers of this policy.
3. Counter Notice
In accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), Etsy accepts counter notices for US-based copyright infringement reports only. When Etsy receives a DMCA counter notice, we will provide a copy of the counter notice to the original complaining party. The removed material may be replaced or access to it may be restored 10 business days after the counter notice is processed, unless the copyright owner files an action seeking a court order restraining the allegedly infringing party from relisting the items or a qualifying action with the Copyright Claims Board (CCB), and informs Etsy of this action. Read more about DMCA notices, counter notices, and requirements here.
4. Repeat Infringement
Etsy terminates selling privileges of members who are subject to repeat or multiple notices of intellectual property infringement in appropriate circumstances and at Etsy’s discretion. If we believe a member has attempted to open a new shop after termination of the initial account, we reserve the right to refuse all services to that member. These actions apply to any accounts we believe are associated with or operated by the affected member. Per our Terms of Use, Etsy reserves the right to terminate account privileges at any time, for any reason, and without advance notice.
5. Withdrawals
Etsy only accepts withdrawals of infringement reports directly from the intellectual property owner or authorized representative who submitted the claim. The withdrawal must clearly state that it is a formal withdrawal and sufficiently identify the member and/or material (such as by providing the username, shop name, and Etsy listing URLs).
Once Etsy receives a formal withdrawal of an infringement report, Etsy will contact the withdrawing party to confirm receipt and will notify the affected member of the withdrawal. Please note that infringement matters are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and withdrawals do not guarantee changes to a member's shop status.
6. Resources
If material was removed from your shop due to a report of infringement, or if you would like to learn more about intellectual property issues in general, please refer to the following information:
Support for intellectual property issues
Frequently asked questions about having material removed due to a report of infringement.
Seller Handbook articles on legal topics
Last updated on Jun 15, 2023