How to report intellectual property infringement on Etsy

Who can file, and what you need

Etsy accepts reports from the owner of the rights or someone authorised to report for them. You need an Etsy account, which you can create while registering for the portal. Agents upload a letter of authorisation, which Etsy checks before the report can be submitted. The portal is in US English only, but rights owners anywhere can use it.

• For trademark reports: a valid, active, registered trademark. Etsy says a pending application 'may not' be processed, and a mark on the US Supplemental Register needs extra proof that it is distinctive.
• For copyright reports: a link to your own original work, not to the seller's copy.
• For patent reports: a patent in a jurisdiction that matches where the seller is or delivers.
• The listing URLs or IDs, not shop names.

Usernames, shop names and videos are not reported through the portal. Etsy has a separate reporting form for those.

How to file through the IP Reporting Portal

1. 1

   Register

   Sign in, choose who owns the rights (you, or a company or client you represent), and add your details.

2. 2

   Add your property

   In the Intellectual Properties tab, choose Add property. Enter the type (trademark, copyright or patent), the owner, a letter of authorisation if you are an agent, a URL showing the property in use, and its name and details.

3. 3

   Create a report

   In the Reports tab, choose Create a report, pick the owner and property, then Create & add listings. Search Etsy, or upload listing IDs or URLs.

4. 4

   Review and submit

   Choose Review & submit. You get an email confirmation, then another email with the outcome. Track status in the Reports tab.

Etsy suggests contacting the seller first. For small sellers making an honest mistake that sometimes works. For counterfeiters it rarely does.

What happens after you report

For a compliant report, Etsy removes or disables the content and makes a 'reasonable attempt to contact the affected member'. It may give the seller a copy of the report, including your name and email address, and may ask you for more information, such as a letter of authorisation or proof of identity. Etsy does not publish a response time; it says it 'strives to respond quickly'.

Only the person who filed a report can withdraw it, and the withdrawal must clearly name the member and listings.

Reporting many listings at once

Copied designs on Etsy rarely come one at a time. The portal lets you add listings to a report by searching Etsy or by uploading listing IDs or URLs, so for a large batch it is quicker to collect the IDs in a spreadsheet first.

• Group listings by property and IP type. One report per trademark or per copyrighted work keeps each report easy to review.
• Add the property once in the Intellectual Properties tab and reuse it for every report.
• Keep a record of what you reported and when, so you can spot the same seller relisting under a new shop.

Etsy may give the seller your name and email address, so use a brand-protection mailbox rather than a personal one. If a seller writes to you, ask for anything they claim proves permission in writing before you consider withdrawing a report.

Counter-notices and repeat infringers

Counter-notices are accepted only for US-based copyright reports. Content may be restored 10 business days after the counter-notice is processed, unless you tell Etsy you have started a court action or a qualifying Copyright Claims Board action.

Etsy terminates selling privileges for repeat infringers 'in appropriate circumstances and at Etsy's discretion', may refuse service if they open a new shop, and applies this to associated accounts.

Copyright or trademark: which to choose on Etsy

Choosing the wrong IP type is one of the reasons Etsy gives for rejecting reports. The split is simple once you look at what was copied:

Etsy is full of handmade and print-on-demand sellers who copy artwork and photos rather than brand names, so copyright is often the right claim, and it does not need a registration. Trademark claims only work when the listing uses your mark to sell; Etsy rejects reports where the mark is not used, or only used decoratively.

Before you report, capture each listing with its URL and date visible, and keep your originals with their file dates. Etsy may ask for more information, and dated originals answer most of its questions.

Why Etsy rejects reports

Etsy publishes its own list of common reasons. The ones that catch brands most often:

• Missing details: your full name, address, phone number or email.
• The wrong example: linking the seller's listing as your 'authorised example' instead of your own product or work.
• Shop names instead of listings: Etsy needs the individual listing URLs.
• The wrong IP type, such as a trademark report for copied photos.
• A trademark that is not registered and active, or a listing that does not use the mark, or uses it only decoratively.

Our Takedown Evidence Checklist builds the Etsy-specific list for your claim, and the DMCA notice template helps you describe copied work clearly.