Etsy removed my listing after an intellectual property report
What an Etsy IP takedown means, when a counter notice is the right response, when to ask the reporter to retract, and how to protect your shop from repeat strikes.
When someone tells Etsy that your listing infringes their intellectual property, Etsy removes it and emails you the reporter's name and contact details. Etsy's Intellectual Property Policy explains that Etsy doesn't judge who is right — it acts on the report and leaves the dispute between you and the reporter.
First, work out which kind of report it is
The email names the type of right claimed. It changes what you can do:
| Report type | Your main option |
|---|---|
| Copyright (photos, artwork, patterns, text) | File a counter notice if you believe the removal was a mistake, or contact the reporter |
| Trademark (brand names, logos) | Contact the reporter and ask for a retraction; change the listing if you used their mark |
| Other (design patents, right of publicity) | Contact the reporter; consider legal advice |
If the report is wrong
- Collect proof that you made it first. Original photo files with their camera dates, sketches or design files, process photos, your listing's creation date, and any Internet Archive snapshot of your listing. See how to prove you made it first.
- For copyright, file a counter notice. It must include specific statements and your contact details, and the reporter will see them. Our counter notice template lists every required element.
- Or ask for a retraction. A short, factual message to the reporter with your evidence often resolves a mistaken report fastest. Use the retraction request template.
If the report is right
Remove or change the item, keep a note of what you changed, and don't relist the same thing. Repeated valid reports put the whole shop at risk.
Copycats who report the original
A pattern sellers describe: a copying shop files an IP report against the maker it copied, hoping to remove the competition. Dated evidence is what separates you from them — which is why keeping proof before anything goes wrong matters.
General information, not legal advice. Etsy decides on reinstatement.
Questions
- Can I appeal an IP removal to Etsy directly?
- Etsy doesn't decide who owns a copyright or trademark. For copyright reports you can file a counter notice; for other reports Etsy generally asks you to contact the person who reported you and ask them to retract.
- Will an IP report get my shop suspended?
- Etsy's IP policy says repeated infringement reports can lead to account restrictions or suspension. That's why it matters to resolve or contest each report rather than ignore it.
- What if the person who reported me copied my work?
- It happens. Copycats sometimes file reports against the original maker. A counter notice backed by dated proof (original files, earlier listing dates, archive snapshots) is the usual response.
Related
- Etsy says my item is resold or not handmade — how to respond
- Etsy removed my listing under the prohibited items policy
- Etsy suspended my shop — what it means and what to do
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