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Copycat protection for potters and ceramic artists
Hand-thrown mugs, planters and tableware get copied by factories using the maker's own photos. How to spot copies, prove authorship and get them removed.
Speckled glazes, wave planters and textured mugs photograph beautifully — and factories have learned to copy the look and reuse the potter's photos to sell slip-cast versions.
How copying happens for potters and ceramicists
- Your product photos are reused for factory-made, slip-cast copies.
- Distinctive glazes and forms are copied and sold as 'handmade'.
- Lifestyle photos are cropped to remove your styling and reused.
Where copies usually show up
- AliExpress and Temu
- Amazon
- Wayfair-style home stores
- Dropship home-decor sites
How to protect your work
- Keep photos of pieces on the wheel and in the kiln — they prove a piece is thrown, not cast.
- Note glaze recipes and firing dates alongside originals.
- Report photo copies on each marketplace and point out the handmade claim if it's false.
How MakerSentry helps
MakerSentry keeps a dated record of every listing photo and process shot, finds factory copies each week and drafts platform-specific notices.
Related
Questions
- Is a similar glaze a copy?
- Styles and techniques are usually free to use. Using your photographs, or an identical copy sold with your images, is what you can act on.
- What evidence matters most for pottery?
- Process photos showing the piece being thrown and fired, plus your original listing photos with their dates.
Also see
- Copycat protection for handmade jewelry makers
- Copycat protection for PDF sewing pattern designers
- Copycat protection for artists who sell prints
- Copycat protection for candle and soap makers
- Copycat protection for crochet and knitting designers
MakerSentry
Keeps dated proof of every listing, finds copies of your photos every week, drafts and tracks takedowns, and builds your appeal if Etsy removes a listing.
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