Finding your artwork, photos, or product designs for sale in someone else’s Etsy shop is infuriating. The good news is that Etsy has a formal process for taking infringing listings down, and it usually works if you use it correctly. The bad news is that a sloppy or overreaching report can be rejected, can be reversed by a counter notice, and can even expose you to liability.
This guide walks through how to report copyright infringement on Etsy in 2026, what to include, what happens after you file, and what to do if the takedown doesn’t solve the problem.
What Counts as Copyright Infringement on Etsy?
Copyright protects original creative work: illustrations, photographs, written descriptions, patterns, digital downloads, designs printed on products, and similar material. Copyright infringement on Etsy usually looks like one of these:
- Another shop selling prints, stickers, shirts, or mugs featuring your artwork
- A seller using your product photos in their own listings
- Your digital files (patterns, templates, printables) being resold
- Your listing descriptions or shop text copied word for word
Copyright doesn’t protect ideas, general styles, common techniques, or simple shapes. Another seller making a similar kind of product isn’t infringement on its own. The question is whether they copied your protected expression.
If someone is using your shop name, brand name, or logo, that’s usually a trademark issue rather than copyright. Etsy handles both through the same reporting system, but you’ll pick a different report type and the legal standard is different. Our guide on trademark protection for e-commerce sellers covers that side.
Before You Report: Three Things to Check
1. Make sure you own the rights
Only the copyright owner or someone authorized to act for them can file a report. If you hired a designer or bought artwork, confirm the copyright was actually transferred to you in writing.
2. Consider fair use and licenses
Ask whether the use could be licensed (did you ever grant permission, including through a marketplace or print-on-demand license?) or arguably fair use. When you submit a report, you’re stating in good faith that the use isn’t authorized. Knowingly misrepresenting infringement can make you liable for damages under the DMCA.
3. Save your evidence
Take dated screenshots of each infringing listing, copy the listing URLs, and keep your own originals with their creation dates (source files, earliest posting, or a copyright registration). Listings can disappear or change quickly once a seller realizes they’ve been spotted.
How to Report Copyright Infringement on Etsy: Step by Step
Step 1: Go to Etsy’s reporting system
Etsy accepts intellectual property reports through its Reporting Portal and reporting form. Rights owners who report regularly can set up an account in the Etsy Reporting Portal, which makes it easier to submit and track multiple reports. You don’t need to be an Etsy seller to file.
Step 2: Choose the right report type
Select copyright for artwork, photos, text, or designs. Select trademark for names, logos, and branding. Picking the wrong one is a common reason reports stall.
Step 3: Identify your original work
Describe the copyrighted work and link to where it appears (your Etsy listing, website, or portfolio). If you have a U.S. copyright registration, include the registration number. It isn’t required, but it strengthens your report.
Step 4: List every infringing listing
Give the exact listing URL for each item. Etsy acts on specific listings, so a general complaint about a shop won’t get far.
Step 5: Complete the required statements and sign
A valid U.S. copyright takedown notice includes:
- Your contact information
- A statement that you have a good-faith belief the use isn’t authorized by the owner, its agent, or the law
- A statement that the information is accurate and, under penalty of perjury, that you’re the owner or authorized to act for the owner
- Your physical or electronic signature
For background on how these notices work across platforms, see our guide on how to file a DMCA takedown request.
Step 6: Submit and keep records
Save a copy of everything you submitted and any confirmation you receive.
What Happens After You Report?
If your report is complete, Etsy will remove or disable the listed items and notify the seller. Two details catch many rights owners off guard:
The seller may see your contact details. Etsy’s policy allows it to share a copy of the report, including your name and email address, with the seller. If you’d rather not deal with the seller directly, consider having an attorney file on your behalf.
The seller can push back. For U.S. copyright reports, the seller can file a counter notice. If they do, Etsy may restore the listings about 10 business days after processing it, unless you show that you’ve filed a lawsuit to stop the infringement. That’s why it helps to know in advance whether you’re prepared to escalate.
Repeat infringers lose their shops. Etsy terminates selling privileges for members who receive repeat or multiple valid notices. Reporting every infringing listing, not just the worst one, builds that record.
When an Etsy Takedown Isn’t Enough
Takedowns stop specific listings. They don’t recover lost sales, and some sellers simply relist under a new shop name. Depending on the scale of the problem, the next steps might include:
- A cease and desist letter demanding the seller stop, account for sales, and destroy remaining stock
- A copyright infringement lawsuit, which for U.S. works requires a copyright registration first
- A Copyright Claims Board case, a lower-cost small claims option for disputes worth up to $30,000
- Coordinated federal litigation against many online sellers at once. These “Schedule A” cases are frequently filed in the Northern District of Illinois here in Chicago and can freeze infringers’ marketplace accounts
Registration timing matters a lot here. Statutory damages and attorney’s fees are only available if your work was registered before the infringement started, or within three months of publication. If you sell original designs online, registering your best sellers early is one of the most useful things you can do. Our guides to the benefits of copyright registration and what protects your work without registration explain why.
The same process applies on other platforms too. See how to report infringement on eBay and report infringement on Amazon.
What If Someone Reported Your Etsy Listing?
If your listing was taken down and you believe the report was wrong (because you created the work, have a license, or your use is fair use), you can file a counter notice through Etsy. Be careful: a counter notice is a sworn statement, and it includes consenting to the jurisdiction of a federal court. If the rights owner is serious, they may sue. Our guide to filing a DMCA counter notice explains the process and the risks.
If the report is valid, remove the listing, stop selling the item, and talk to a lawyer before responding to any demand letter.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I report copyright infringement on Etsy?
Use Etsy’s Reporting Portal or reporting form, choose a copyright report, identify your original work, list each infringing listing URL, and sign the required good-faith and accuracy statements.
Do I need to be an Etsy seller to report infringement?
No. Any copyright owner, or someone authorized to act for them, can report infringing listings on Etsy.
Do I need a registered copyright to file an Etsy report?
No. Etsy will process reports for unregistered works. But in the U.S., you need a registration before you can sue, and a registration number makes your report stronger.
Will the seller know who reported them?
Possibly. Etsy may share a copy of the report, including your name and email address, with the seller. An attorney can file on your behalf if you prefer.
What happens if the seller files a counter notice?
For U.S. copyright claims, Etsy may restore the listing about 10 business days after processing the counter notice unless you file a lawsuit to stop the infringement.
Get Help Protecting Your Work on Etsy
If your designs are being copied across Etsy or other marketplaces, a takedown is only the first move. Drishti Law’s copyright attorneys can file reports for you, register your key works, and handle cease and desist letters and litigation when takedowns aren’t enough. Call 773-234-1139 or book a free consultation.
Sahil Malhotra
Sahil Malhotra is an Intellectual Property Attorney, who founded Drishti (“vision”) law because of his vision in protecting dreams and ideas.
He provided individuals and small businesses with an opportunity to enhance their IP’s value by helping them register trademarks and successfully argue against office actions. In addition to his training and experience, he has been deeply involved in the multifaceted IP portfolio at UIC and continues to be associated with IP organizations and conferences.
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