# 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.

Updated 2026-11-01 · https://makersentry.com/for/ceramics-pottery-makers

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

1. Keep photos of pieces on the wheel and in the kiln — they prove a piece is thrown, not cast.
2. Note glaze recipes and firing dates alongside originals.
3. 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

- [Temu or AliExpress copied my product](/guides/temu-aliexpress-copied-my-product)
- [Proof-of-creation certificate](/tools/proof-of-creation-certificate)
- [Report a copy on Temu](/report/temu)

## 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.