{"id":368929,"date":"2022-06-07T10:55:12","date_gmt":"2022-06-07T15:55:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/litigation\/filing-a-lawsuit\/can-i-sue-online-craft-sellers-like-etsy.html"},"modified":"2026-06-22T11:55:49","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T16:55:49","slug":"can-i-sue-online-craft-sellers-like-etsy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/litigation\/filing-a-lawsuit\/can-i-sue-online-craft-sellers-like-etsy.html","title":{"rendered":"Can I Sue Online Craft Sellers (Like Etsy) for Copyright Infringement?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Can I Sue Online Craft Sellers (Like Etsy) for Copyright Infringement?<\/h1>\n\n
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\n By Steven Ellison, Esq.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Joseph Fawbush, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Yes, you may be able to sue a seller on an online marketplace like Etsy if the seller copies your handmade items and sells them. <\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n

Under copyright law, you have intellectual property rights in original visual works you create, such as a photograph on a t-shirt or a design on a mug. If an Etsy seller sells your images without your permission, they have committed copyright infringement and can be sued.<\/p>\n

You don’t have to run to court yet, though. The Etsy marketplace has a process through which you can notify it of copyright infringement and get an infringing product removed from the marketplace. If the seller fights you and Etsy restores their product listing, you then could exercise your right to sue.<\/p>\n

An intellectual property attorney would be able to give you legal advice about your rights, help you decide if the costs of a lawsuit are worth it in your case, and represent you in legal proceedings.<\/p>\n

For other types of consumer issues<\/a> with Etsy, such as undelivered merchandise, fraud, or privacy violations, learn about suing an online retailer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How Does Etsy Work?<\/h2>\n

Etsy.com<\/a>\u00a0is a global online marketplace that connects sellers of unique items, such as crafts or vintage items, with interested buyers. In 2021, Etsy and its affiliates connected 7.5 million active sellers with 96.3 million buyers and generated about $2.3 billion in sales.<\/p>\n

Most sellers use Etsy for legitimate business purposes. However, there are unscrupulous people who copy other people’s works and sell them for profit. All it takes is a search of Disney characters, Harry Potter, Star Wars, or some other popular franchise, and you’re bound to find someone selling knock-offs of fan art.<\/p>\n

If you discover someone selling your works on an e-commerce website, there are steps you can take to protect your rights as the copyright holder. Intellectual property law may also let you bring legal action for other reasons, such as trademark infringement<\/a>. In rare cases with novel inventions, you might also consider getting a patent<\/a>\u00a0for certain products or processes. But our\u00a0focus in this article\u00a0will be\u00a0on copyrights.<\/p>\n

What Is a Copyright in Crafting?<\/h2>\n

A\u00a0copyright<\/a>\u00a0gives the copyright owner an exclusive right to reproduce, publish, or license an original work of authorship. That can be a literary, musical, dramatic, artistic, architectural, or other creative work<\/a>. Creative works might include a variety of digital or handmade crafts like embroidery, graphic prints, jewelry, woodworking, and more. Your copyright protects only the form of the work, not the original idea.<\/p>\n

Being a copyright holder gives you certain exclusive rights:<\/p>\n