UPDATE: Glitterbiscuits
Last week, I told you about an Etsy seller who was tracing one of Jess Fink’s T-shirt designs, and selling it on Etsy as her own creation.
Tens of thousands of you responded by reporting her to Etsy for copyright infringement. By the next morning, her banner and profile had been changed, and her store emptied!
But not by Etsy.
The seller voluntarily closed up shop.
Instead, Etsy did this:
From: Etsy Outreach
Date: March 20, 2011 15:55:31 PDT
To: (REMOVED)
Subject: An Important Message from EtsyThank you for being a vibrant member of the Etsy Community. We are delighted that our Members help us keep Etsy’s integrity in tact by Flagging items that do not meet our criteria.
Unfortunately, Flags are not the appropriate way to report Copyright Infringement or other Intellectual Property issues on Etsy.
Check out the links below for more information on Etsy’s Copyright and Intellectual Property policy, the procedure for reporting it, and some FAQs and articles on this subject.
DMCA (Etsy’s Copyright Policy)
Copyright FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions about Copyright)
In the future, please do not use Etsy’s Flagging system to report these concerns. Thank you again for being a part of the Etsy Community!
Best,
Etsy’s Support Team
OMG, you guys are so vibrant! Too bad you don’t know how to use the right forms. That would be super helpful to Etsy staff, because they’re really busy tweeting about Earl Grey tea.
The great irony here is that Jess Fink is also an Etsy seller. And if there’s one thing Etsy is really rabid about enforcing, it’s being nice to each other. Any post in the forums taking another seller to task – even a reseller – gets you shut down in a heartbeat. In fact, I know people who have been muted for weeks because of calling someone on the carpet and making them accountable.
If only you had flagged her for being a meanie. You probably would have gotten a cupcake.
March 21, 2011 at 11:15 am
Um. What is flagging FOR, then? Showing how patriotic the seller is?
March 22, 2011 at 4:26 am
wanted to post this where peope would see it…straight from the Etsy admins in a forum thread discussing this post/copyright enforcement
http://www.etsy.com/teams/7722/business-topics/discuss/6826584/page/4/
March 21, 2011 at 11:16 am
So, we now know what Etsy stands for:
Easy
To
Steal
Your ideas
March 21, 2011 at 2:33 pm
That’s exactly why I don’t sell on Etsy anymore. It’s a one stop shop for people who don’t have any ideas of their own to find something to rip off.
I even had someone give their store the exact same name as my store. (Which was the same as my username). When I complained to the Etsy admins, they told me they couldn’t do anything about it, that people can name their store anything they like. Absolute bullshit.
March 21, 2011 at 5:46 pm
Gruvepuppy, I completely agree. This is the last straw for me. I had all but stopped selling on Etsy until now (the main reason being that it’s become a cesspool for stolen work/ideas, Chinese resellers, ugly and overpriced beaded “jewelry” made by bored stay-at-home moms, and random junk that someone hauled out of their attic). This, however, just disgusts me to no end. Knowing that if another seller were to rip off my work and Etsy would do nothing about it really makes me angry. I am done with them.
March 21, 2011 at 11:16 am
Maybe she works for Etsy… :/
March 21, 2011 at 1:52 pm
IDK about that. Girlfriend’s from Atlanta and Etsy’s based in Brooklyn.
March 21, 2011 at 3:16 pm
Girlfriend’s from Ellenwood.
March 21, 2011 at 11:09 pm
True. To do that, she’d need some way to work for Etsy without being physically in their corporate headquarters.
And the kind of technology she’d need to pull off that kind of “telecommuting” (if I might coin a phrase) is decades away.
March 21, 2011 at 11:17 am
The fuck?
If they’re going to be that terrible at enforcing their rules, what’s the point of having them?
March 21, 2011 at 12:07 pm
It’s not even JUST that! if they were bad enforcers, they’d be like the rest of the internet trying to stop piracy…
Their actual policy makes it completely unrealistic to report infringement. you need the name, contact info and details for everyone involved, you need to submit it in writing, and you need to be authorized by signature to act on behalf of the copyright owner! What the fuck, etsy. seriously?
It makes my blood boil that they act all crowdsourced, user content, web whatever-point-oh, but actually actively get in the way of their users when they want to put those ideas into practice.
It’s lame that they’re touted as a titan of the user-based-web revolution or some shit but they really truly fear forking over any empowerment to their user base…who might actually love the place if it wasn’t so clogged with shit.
fuck, i guess i need some earl grey to cool back off. i’m being anti-community or something.
March 21, 2011 at 12:50 pm
If I could like this post any more times, I would.
I suggest some chamomile, however. The caffeine in the Earl Grey leads to the aggro ‘n shit. UNLESS it double bergamot. That bergamot soothes the savage beast.
March 21, 2011 at 1:08 pm
You’re amazing. My rants usually go something like this: “Fuck you, you fucking fucker! Fuck!”
March 21, 2011 at 3:01 pm
That’s how I write poetry. You should see my muse.
March 21, 2011 at 6:46 pm
and that eloquently sums up about all my opinions at this point on this matter -_- I think i need some help developing a website.
March 21, 2011 at 12:20 pm
So they can cross-stitch them on decorative napkins?
March 21, 2011 at 8:31 pm
Maybe they’re just guidelines…They don’t enforce them, they just frown upon you.
March 21, 2011 at 11:17 am
You know, I knit. And once I get a few more finished objects under my belt I was really considering starting an Etsy shop to make a little bit of scratch from my hobby.
Now? IDK. Maybe I’ll just throw them on eBay.
March 21, 2011 at 11:21 am
You could try Artfire or Zibbet.
March 21, 2011 at 11:37 am
Dude, nobody goes to Artfire!!!
March 21, 2011 at 11:50 am
That’s not true Branch, I’m on Artfire and I’ve made a bunch of sales
March 21, 2011 at 12:03 pm
Grey, I’m totally crushing on your Cthulhu mask:-D
March 21, 2011 at 1:00 pm
And that is the problem. I have a Zibbet shop that gets almost no traffic. Ugh, damn you Etsy for your superior user base!!
March 21, 2011 at 1:56 pm
Okay, I need to say something about that. The reason nobody goes to ArtFire is because sellers keep saying “Nobody goes to ArtFire!” So they either don’t make a shop there, or they don’t put much effort in to promoting a shops that they do have there. I’m guilty of it myself. Still, I was curious to know how much traffic was actually generated by Etsy, so I started a new shop on it and promoted it about the same amount as I promote my ArtFire shop, which is very little. What I found using Google Analytics was that Etsy got me practically zero traffic to that shop on the days I didn’t mention it on my own FB and Twitter pages, even if I had just listed a new item. So honestly, I think at this point people are only trying to convince themselves that Etsy is doing something to help them get customers, but in reality, we are all just doing the work for ourselves now.
In fact, Regretsy has probably generated the most traffic for Etsy shops than any other source for a while.
March 21, 2011 at 6:14 pm
I like Artfire, except for their incessant nagging to upgrade to a monthly Pro subscription. Screw that.
March 21, 2011 at 9:57 pm
I’ve actually purchased things off Artfire more recently than Etsy. Too much work to wade through all Etsy’s crap to find someone to do the custom work I needed for a charm bracelet I made my friend.
March 21, 2011 at 11:25 pm
Grey, I’ve just gotta note that the orange Cthulhu mask looks a lot like Dr. Zoidberg–which is exactly why I just bought it. Guess who’s already got their next Halloween costume planned out!
March 22, 2011 at 6:44 pm
Annnd this is exactly why.
Me, I do fine on Artfire and Zibbet. Way better than I did the last 6 months I was on Etsy, despite promoting my ass off.
Now, a little promoting here and there, and I get enough sales to warrant having paid shops on both AND on Big Cartel.
So I must be doing something right.
March 22, 2011 at 10:25 pm
I blame Martha Stewart…
March 21, 2011 at 5:21 pm
Never heard of Artfire, but I’m gonna check it out!! Thanks for the tip pietarian!
March 21, 2011 at 8:36 pm
Make sure you buy an ad on here…I’ve heard it works wonders.
March 21, 2011 at 11:24 am
That makes two of us. I was planning to make several items and post them, just to see if I could get some interest. But this whole “you must find the person who has copyright and have them complain and then we may consider doing something about it, maybe” thing gets under my skin. When I flagged the store, I pointed out the blatant taunting, etc., but still.
March 21, 2011 at 2:45 pm
I did that as well. I thought maybe her saying, “Bitches I stole your shit” was a little more effective than saying she was ripping off material.
March 21, 2011 at 6:15 pm
The confession only counts if it is countersigned by the copyright holder. I think.
March 21, 2011 at 11:40 am
You should try Big Cartel. That’s where I have my shop and it’s really easy to use.
March 21, 2011 at 12:45 pm
Me, too! Have sold more through them in 1 year than in 3 years on Etsy. And they have stellar user support.
March 21, 2011 at 2:25 pm
What do you guys like about it? Because I am really starting to hate Etsy.
March 21, 2011 at 3:41 pm
Is Ruby Lane still around? Years ago it was an option, and the quality of stuff looked better, but I was turned off by the monthly fees. Now I’d be happy to pay $20 a month up front for less bullshit.
March 21, 2011 at 11:52 am
You could try DaWanda. As far as I can tell, it’s a European version of Etsy, but I see some American sellers on there too.
March 21, 2011 at 12:09 pm
I’m very disenchanted with how etsy does nothing about resellers and factories. Does anyone really think the sellers out of Taiwan and China with hundreds of clothing sales a week are really individual artisans? No, they’re sweatshops. Or does etsy consider sweatshops to be “teams”?
(I can’t stand ebay’s requirement that sellers ONLY accept Paypal for payments. Mention anything else and you’ll get banned. Of course they own Paypal and so make serious money that way….)
These days most of my etsy sales are by local people who want gowns made. There’s no way to compete with people who want to order through the mail. Why buy by mail from me for $1k when something can be bought from a sweatshop for $80?
March 21, 2011 at 4:03 pm
just a side note to this, i have an etsy shop where i sell cards and a woman from China once tried to commission me to make >1,000 of one type of card i had..wtf, not a factory here lady
March 21, 2011 at 7:35 pm
That’s a scam. I’ve gotten that with my Zazzle shops and my Avon.
April 11, 2012 at 12:36 am
Got apparel collection of business shirts
are so famous in America because of it’s wholesale rates.
March 21, 2011 at 12:40 pm
How about folksy? I have bought many a lovely item from sellers of handmade goods there x
March 21, 2011 at 12:55 pm
eBay is pretty hard core when it comes to selling copyright infringed/bootlegged items. a few years ago I bought what was described as a original copy of Iron Maiden’s “Live After Death” VHS. It was out of print and not on DVD at the time. when I got it I thought that the cover looked a bit funny, so I pulled it out and saw “Epson photo paper”, printed on the back (blatant bootleg). I shot off an email to eBAy and 2 days later the seller was gone. A week later I was searching for another copy and guess what, there it was AGAIN, same product description, seller from the same town, exact same items in their shop but under a different name. so, I sent another email to eBAy, same result, 2 days later, GONE. WTF etsy, it ain’t that hard to kick out the rip-off artists.
March 21, 2011 at 1:03 pm
Shoot, I ordered stones off ebay that turned out to be glass, I had to file complaints, got my money back, but it happened more than once, and each time I mentioned how this type of experience makes me not want to order from ebay anymore, and asked how many times a seller has to get flagged for selling fakes before something would be done…sellers are still there, selling the same glass “moonstones” and I just won’t shop there anymore.
March 21, 2011 at 1:56 pm
eBay will be Johnny on the Spot to get rid of bootleggers who are bootlegging software, music, or movies, but are USELESS for helping stamp out bootlegged art. Basically if you are a big name label or film company, they care and will do something, but if you are an individual artist of some kind, they don’t care.
March 21, 2011 at 1:58 pm
Yeah because years ago Kate Spade and Gucci tore them a new anus because they allowed fake purses to be sold on ebay. Don’t think ebay didn’t allow it to go on because they did until threatened legally.
With Etsy though, Disney, Mattel, etc need to step up… they’ll get theirs lol
March 21, 2011 at 3:33 pm
Agreed. If someone can sue them they will put a stop to it. But as darkandtwisty pointed out, if someone just misrepresents their product, all you can do is leave negative feedback, complain to ebay and hope for the best. It sucks that people can get away with this shit, but it seems that etsy not only does nothing about it, they seem to almost fucking SUPPORT it.
March 21, 2011 at 6:18 pm
eBay is erring on the side of caution now, and taking down listings for copyright infringement even when people try to list their own used designer bags. Apparently, if you’re not an authorized retailer, you shouldn’t even try to sell a LV or Coach bag.
Guess they should try selling on Etsy, because they clearly don’t give a damn.
March 21, 2011 at 2:07 pm
up the Irons!
March 21, 2011 at 5:28 pm
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
March 21, 2011 at 1:54 pm
eBay is just as bad about copyright infringement. They do not care. I had a horrible experience with trying to get eBay to shut down a seller who was stealing and plagiarizing from me. They wouldn’t do anything (other than take down individual auctions, one-by-one, which was useless because the seller would just put more up again right away).
It sounds like etsy is going down the same road as eBay—enabling plagiarizers and thieves and doing shit to help the victims.
March 21, 2011 at 2:54 pm
Aww, I just gave my troll the same haircut! <3
March 21, 2011 at 7:35 pm
Ebay’s fees are nuts–that’s why I joined etsy in the first place. Yeah, it’s run by idiots, but there are still some great sellers there.
March 21, 2011 at 7:56 pm
You could also try Ravelry for ideas of where/how to sell, if you’re really interested. Although most of what I know of Ravelry is just patterns. But if you have been designing your own patterns, you could also make a killing – but then people will maybe just be douchebags and sell the stuff they knit from your patterns on Etsy. Well shit.
March 21, 2011 at 10:57 pm
Ravelry has some great forums and groups. I bet users on there would have some great ideas on where to sell all things knit/crochet. And you could make a killing selling patterns on there. I love love love the site. Definitely worth checking out.
March 21, 2011 at 8:34 pm
I was trying to get more items to sell before I started a shop, too. I had given myself a deadline of June to get my Etsy store up and running.
I guess I’ll start looking into Artfire…
March 21, 2011 at 11:58 pm
Yep. I considered a shop. But then I saw some of the bullshit, so I’m still just selling locally at craft fairs and the farmers’ market.
It’s a shame, because there are real talents on etsy. Some I buy from on a regular basis, in fact. (This Charming Candy’s lollipops are fucking insanely good, just btw.) But the way the site admins treat them is disgraceful.
March 21, 2011 at 11:18 am
Little did you know #notfallingforitagainearlgrey is actually a trending topic on Twitter. Ha, the joke’s on you! NOOB
March 21, 2011 at 11:18 am
Actually, yeah.
When I flagged the store, I didn’t mention a think about the copyright.
It was all about the nasty banner, the taunting Ms. Fink, etc….
They do actually care about that.
The other is just too messy for ‘em.
March 21, 2011 at 11:18 am
I didn’t mention a thing, either.
I am keeping my thinks to myself.
March 21, 2011 at 11:46 am
Same here. I mentioned that she was provoking people.
March 21, 2011 at 12:21 pm
I think I also took a look at what Etsy considered grounds for flagging in their handy little pull-down menu, chose ‘Other’ because “being a dickbag and stealing someone else’s stuff’ wasn’t up there. I was sort of afraid this might happen.
March 21, 2011 at 8:55 pm
I made a comment about all this on an Etsy discussion about the whole thing and some jerk actually reported me because I mentioned the banner and they said mentioning something that isn’t a copyright issue in the thread is reportable.
Dear Eclipse. not having a life and being a nitpicking
little snitch may not be “reportable”….but it is pathetic.
March 21, 2011 at 11:18 am
This is complete BS. There, I said it.
March 21, 2011 at 12:09 pm
Bullshit. Just say it.
March 21, 2011 at 1:00 pm
Yeah it’s perfectly fuckin’ acceptable to say all sort’s of shit here, that’s way it’s so fuckin’ awesome.
March 21, 2011 at 6:14 pm
If you’ll notice, there are whole categories on this site devoted to “Bullshit,” “Penisis,” “Vaginas,” and “Whimsicle Fuckery.” The word “bullshit” in a comment is NOT gonna sound any alarm bells.
March 21, 2011 at 6:15 pm
*Penises. I must have been thinking of the disease…
March 21, 2011 at 11:18 am
all is not fair in haughty, self-important c*nts and war.
March 21, 2011 at 11:18 am
Okay,soooo we’re supposed to NOT do Etsy’s job when they are supposed to be the ones to do it in the first place? Why not just chuck all the rules and be done with it? May as well list some absolutely rule-breaking bullshit and test them.
March 21, 2011 at 12:37 pm
I have a box of old porn VHS tapes in big boxes!
But if I slapped “Vintage” on it, it would be ok…
March 21, 2011 at 1:12 pm
If you add some ‘glitter’ to the covers then they would be considered OOAK.
March 21, 2011 at 3:45 pm
glitter + vagina = winning
March 21, 2011 at 6:29 pm
Check and see if any of the actors have died. Then you could sell them as ‘memorabilia’ and probably make an extra $5-10 apiece!
March 21, 2011 at 9:47 pm
DOn’t forget, it’s steampunk.
March 21, 2011 at 11:18 am
AHDJAGDHJSNSBGOIAUSJKHAGOUIJANBGD D:<
March 21, 2011 at 11:18 am
So resellers’ shops remain open for months, but they respond to “improper flagging” in 3 days? Clearly they have their priorities straight.
March 21, 2011 at 11:27 am
They are making sure we know how to contact the right channels correctly so our month(s) long wait can start now rather than months from now.
March 21, 2011 at 11:52 am
they just don’t like their inboxes flooded with all this work.
I bet if they got thousands of flags over resellers, they’d tell you not to flag them either.
At this rate, it’s probably better to set up a paypal store on your own website. At least then the only TOS you have to follow is your own (and that of your ISP)…
March 21, 2011 at 12:13 pm
Google Checkout is better. Stellar reviews, lower fees, easier for buyers too who don’t want to set up an account that stores their personal info. After our Paypal account was hacked and Paypal refused to close the account, despite police reports and our bank telling them to, and Paypal instead let whoever had hacked it continue to use it and attempt to transfer money from our bank account (two weeks before our wedding, Paypal let the hacker drain us), we stopped using Paypal. The bank refunded all our money and closed our accounts (and opened new ones for us) to get the Paypal charges to stop.
Google is much better and more secure, and if you are a buyer, you don’t have to make an account with a company that will store all your personal info.
March 21, 2011 at 3:58 pm
Good to know about Google Checkout. I’ve only got Paypal connected to one credit card. When somebody hacked into the account, the bank caught it right away, closed the card, and handled all the crap with Paypal. I don’t use Paypal unless I absolutely have to, and with a card issued by that bank, for that reason.
It feels like Etsy is going down the same road as Ebay. I’m making a list of these other sites to shop at, and if I do open a shop in the future, I doubt it will be with Etsy, if this is how they operate.
March 21, 2011 at 11:18 am
From the Copyright FAQs “For example, Cezanne is thought to have inspired Picasso’s cubism period and Boucher, Fragonard and Watteau inspired Renoir.”
Glitterbiscuit = Picasso. Clearly.
March 21, 2011 at 11:55 am
And Harlan Ellison’s Twilight Zone episode Soldier “inspired” the movie Terminator and after a lengthy lawsuit and large cash settlement, Ellison’s name now appears in the credits for the movie.
March 21, 2011 at 12:56 pm
Wha? How did I not know this? *Googles this factoid* Ellison is a right douche. Mind you, a misanthropic misogynistic genius of a right douche, so it’s only to be expected. But still, how did I not know this?
*adds this factoid to random trivia area of brain, promptly forgets Etsy log in as a result*
Oh and Etsy… can suck it. That’s as much eloquence as I feel like bestowing upon them today.
March 21, 2011 at 3:21 pm
I think it’s far worse that Gene Roddenberry wrote words to the Star Trek theme so he could cheat the composer out of half the royalties.
March 21, 2011 at 11:59 am
Picasso was INSPIRED by other artists, he didn’t blatantly copy their works.
March 21, 2011 at 12:34 pm
he was actually inspired by African masks
http://imgur.com/6IF9o.jpg
god i love art history!!!!
March 21, 2011 at 2:25 pm
Actually, he was a bit of a bugger about that. Apparently his peers didn’t want him to come around and look at their work anymore, because he would “procure” their ideas and images for his own work!
He also said, “Bad artists copy. Great artists steal.”
And he was a mysoginist. I don’t like him very much. >.>
March 21, 2011 at 7:00 pm
eh the whole round of artists of that period were bastards.. i will always hate picaso. even dali hated his guts. theft is theft and there is no art in it.
March 21, 2011 at 9:49 pm
Ditto.
March 22, 2011 at 11:58 pm
Wow, you learn something new every day. Gotta check out the subject.
June 24, 2011 at 4:07 pm
“The good artists imitate, The great artists steal.”- Pablo Picasso
March 21, 2011 at 12:11 pm
blarg. yeah, because semi-insular communities of european artists TOTALLY apply to the way that those insignificant little revolutions in technology like, uh, the internet, imaging software and copying-and-pasting changed the idea of “influence” wholesale.
facepalm.
March 21, 2011 at 7:44 pm
Settle down everybody; I’ve got $51.22 in my bajingo and I’ll buy everyone a chamomile tea. Won’t that be nice?
March 21, 2011 at 11:18 am
Yeah but the cupcake probably would have been a half ass facsimile of somebody’s cool cupcake. And faeree dust gives me the cha cha cha.
March 21, 2011 at 11:19 am
If I can’t flag in a “appropriate manner”,can I have an option to flip the bird? Like a little finger button?
March 21, 2011 at 11:46 am
Can I second this motion?
March 21, 2011 at 4:28 pm
Will this little guy flipping a double bird work?
t(-_-t)
March 21, 2011 at 7:45 pm
That’s cute!
March 21, 2011 at 11:19 am
Interesting. I flagged her for her profile being rude, disrespectful, a flagrant admission that she’d stolen intellectual property, etc. So far I haven’t gotten one of those e-mails. Not that it’s seemed to help.
March 21, 2011 at 12:02 pm
That’s true. In my flag I cited her for being a thief and admitting it and didn’t receive an email either. Hmm….
This is why I jumped ship and moved to Artfire. No, the sales aren’t as good but then with people like Scentsy being allowed in (because CLEARLY they’re handmade and vintage) sales were starting to turn to shit anyway:-/
March 21, 2011 at 3:49 pm
I hate scentsy.
why? i don’t know. i just don’t like them.
March 22, 2011 at 6:22 pm
Possibly because they are a multilevel marketing company, in the same mold as Mary Kay and CutCo.
Yep, THAT was the comment that got me to make an account. I see Scentsy (and other similar schemes) being sold in places meant for actual artists and it bugs me.
March 21, 2011 at 6:11 pm
Actually, I received this e-mail. I jumped through all their stupid flagging hoops, even linked the URL from Jess with pictures of her originals and all the companies and people who had ripped her off before Glittertwat. I mentioned the taunting, the banner, did NOT (in this case, otherwise I love to) use any swearing, in other words polite and cultivated, no spelling errors or unclear language. The e-mail came just a couple of days later, ending with this little love nugget:
“This message is a private conversation between you and Etsy. Please respect this confidentiality and refrain from distributing this communication without permission from Etsy. If you feel this message was sent to you in error, please delete it and let us know. Thank you.”
No, thank YOU, Etsy. I cannot, for the life of me, figure out what was so unique about it compared to the other 26,000 flags they received about the same crap…it’s a conundrum. Fuckwads…
March 21, 2011 at 8:57 pm
Maybe they only replied to the people with well-thought-out, polite flags because they figured you were bigger threats than people like me, who said “She’s a fucking fucker.”
That doesn’t give me a lot of legal room to say that I flagged her.
March 21, 2011 at 11:19 am
This makes me sick. So fucking sick.
March 21, 2011 at 11:19 am
So then how are we supposed to report copyright infringement? Or I suppose, as long as the seller is paying Etsy’s fees and such, it doesn’t matter.
March 21, 2011 at 12:45 pm
The Etsy rules make it very difficult for anyone but the copyright holder to file a complaint.
Disney, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, and Hermes have lawyers who scour the Internet looking for violations and shutting them down. Etsy sellers who use Mickey Mouse or create a fake Berkin bag get whacked by corporate attorneys.
An independent artist whose livelihood is even more dependent on intellectual property doesn’t have those resources. As Brokentoasterkid pointed out, Etsy is supposed to be a support network for these people. Except they’re not allowing the community to support each other if it affects Etsy’s revenue.
March 21, 2011 at 10:39 pm
what’s making my head explode is that Etsy doesnt seem to realize that BAD PRESS KILLS. The article about wedding dresses and now this? People will find other venues for their art if Etsy continues to disrespect them. All this inserting-head-into-anus nonsense every time they get caught with their pants down is gonna affect their revenue too.
For crissakes, you dont have to have a degree in economics to figure it out.
Maybe I’ll mail the Etsy team my Buisness 101 textbook, and sticky tab/highlight the fuck out of the section on customer service.
March 23, 2011 at 12:22 am
They really gotta stop chewing the feeding hand or they will be only left with chinese resellers. But, I guess, that doesn’t bother them.
March 21, 2011 at 11:19 am
Wow… just wow… yet more reasons why etsy is effed up!
March 21, 2011 at 11:20 am
I’m very glad you filed this under “bullshit.”
March 21, 2011 at 11:21 am
Well, I thought I was “reporting” glitterbiscuits, not “flagging” her. Since the link says “report” this shop, not “flag” this shop.
Fucking Etsy, how does it work???
March 21, 2011 at 2:09 pm
Seriously
March 21, 2011 at 11:21 am
I see you flaggin’ profiles for stolen art
And I’m like “F— you!” (Oooh oooh oooh)
I guess you haters don’t get the Etsy spirit
I’m like “F— you,” and your “copyright” too
You’re uncreative and bitter
Life could use more glitter
And fairy shit (fairy shit)
But I’ll send you a letter about behaving better
It’s my “F—” you . . .
March 21, 2011 at 11:35 am
Better watch out or Cee Lo might “flag” this comment… but don’t worry, if he’s lazy like Etsy Staff noting will come of it.
March 21, 2011 at 11:46 am
I would love a Regretsy video of this song similar to Cee-Lo’s, but with the Say What guy on lead vocals and maybe the back-up singers wearing snoods.
March 21, 2011 at 12:21 pm
Josh B does a fabulous version of the original song. I nominate him to do the song!
March 21, 2011 at 1:46 pm
I would absolutely watch that, but they must be wearing skants as well! Hammer pants are so out!
March 21, 2011 at 6:31 pm
The video must absolutely feature Wry Cooter.
http://www.regretsy.com/2011/03/12/weekend-flashback-nsfw/
March 21, 2011 at 12:47 pm
Seems he’s an X-Box,
and I’m more an Atari,
Names are trademarks of their respective owners…
March 21, 2011 at 11:21 am
This is ridiculous.
If you’re supposed to be ‘supporting’ artists, this is not the way to do it. I have an Etsy site as well and this pisses me off.
March 21, 2011 at 11:27 am
Word.
March 21, 2011 at 11:22 am
I will rest well with the satisfaction that I pulled some twit away from Twitter and made her do her job, even if it was just to write up a bitchy mass e-mail about not bothering them while they are watching March Madness and giving each other office spankings.
March 21, 2011 at 11:22 am
*saluting Capt. Space Cake with bent hand at forehead* “Please do not flag specific stores. Flagging is only to be used by people who do not know how to flag. Thank you, Earl Grey is gross.”
March 21, 2011 at 11:22 am
“What if Etsy receives multiple copyright or intellectual property policy complaints about me over time?
Etsy may be required to suspend or terminate your account.”
Etsy may, but probably they’ll just tell that person to shut their trap and stop being a meanie.
March 21, 2011 at 11:22 am
I wonder if copyrighting all of your creations will do any good?
March 21, 2011 at 11:31 am
Any original work you create is automatically copyrighted…
March 21, 2011 at 12:55 pm
Now I know you’re not the person I thought you might be… (her name is Sarah and her e-mail address has “1313″ in it, but she’s an intellectual property attorney)
A work is copyrighted as soon as you create it. If you need to sue someone for infringement, though, it needs to be registered, which costs $35.
A lawsuit could bring a judgement for compensatory damages – money you lost from people who bought the other person’s products, or a licensing fee they should have paid you. So in my opinion (as a CPA, not a lawyer), it’s only worthwhile to sue if they made a significant amount of money ripping you off.
March 21, 2011 at 11:23 am
I gotta know. What is REDACTED?
March 21, 2011 at 11:34 am
re·dact
   /rɪˈdækt/
–verb (used with object)
1.
to put into suitable literary form; revise; edit.
2.
to draw up or frame (a statement, proclamation, etc.)
March 21, 2011 at 11:38 am
I changed it. It started looking weird to me.
March 21, 2011 at 11:40 am
but did you redact it?
March 21, 2011 at 12:56 pm
I always associate it with the black boxes all over government documents when they release them to the public.
March 21, 2011 at 5:20 pm
I always associate it with that episode of “The Office” when they read all the complaints filed to HR…
March 21, 2011 at 11:24 am
Maybe Threadless can make a stink since it was they who made the T-shirts that Jess Fink designed. Technically, they “bought” the design from him. So, why not inform them of the copyright infringement and tell her that she has to pay them back.
March 21, 2011 at 11:24 am
Which IS worse? “Flagging” or “reporting”? What’s the fucking difference? It’s bringing attention to the seller either way. Oh,the semantics!
March 21, 2011 at 11:25 am
You have got to be FUCKING KIDDING ME. So in order to report someone for copyright infringement you have to do all of the legwork FOR Etsy?
I haven’t gotten one of those responses yet, but I flagged her for copyright infringement AND being a heinous disgusting bitch. So maybe they’re still separating out my arguments to figure out which one needs a tutorial to report.
March 21, 2011 at 11:25 am
So I read the copyright policy and guess what – Etsy makes all your contact information available to the person who infringed on your copyright. This of course leaves the thief free to harass you at will.
Here is the info the complainer must provide:
Contact information about the notifier including the name of the intellectual property owner, the name and title of the person contacting Etsy on the owner’s behalf, the address, telephone number and, if available, e-mail address;
March 21, 2011 at 11:49 am
This reminds me of the job I worked where the only recourse if you had a problem with your boss was to go to the CEO of the 1000+ person company.
This is not how you handle the situation fairly, Etsy! This is how you turn it into a nightmare for honest people who are already being taken advantage of!
March 21, 2011 at 11:58 am
Oh yeah and you as the complainer don’t get the thief’s corresponding contact info. You have to rely on Etsy to make an attempt to contact the thief.
But the fact that anytime said thief tries to apply for a Design job I am satisfied the 15+ pages of links on Google about her copyright infringement will alert any future employer about her character.
March 21, 2011 at 12:37 pm
nice point. took my blood pressure down a few notches.
March 21, 2011 at 12:26 pm
They want you to get a lawyer to make the complaint.
March 21, 2011 at 11:25 am
Must have gone through their Department of Redundancy Department.
March 21, 2011 at 12:28 pm
I LITERALLY could not stop laughing when I read this. WIN!
March 21, 2011 at 11:26 am
So, I actually read the copyright policy. There are a few ways one could interpret why they put up so many hoops:
Violating somebody’s legal rights is more serious than violating community standards, so you have to get serious with the evidence and allegation.
They assume that infringement claims are too frequent and too frequently baseless that they added steps to prevent common trolls from alleging infringement.
“Like, dude, running a business online is like, hard! Let’s get a lawyer to do the hard stuff. Get me another cup of Earl Gray; my mustache fell into this one!”
March 21, 2011 at 11:29 am
This is why they need to invent a mustache mug.
March 21, 2011 at 11:41 am
http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=15960073&navAction=jump&navCount=
straight from the hipster mecca
March 21, 2011 at 11:49 am
i would punch them with this mug
http://www.sourpussclothing.com/index.asp?cat=Kitchen&prod=BRASS+KNUCKLES+MUG&start=1
March 21, 2011 at 11:56 am
E Kit… That. Is. Amazing.
March 21, 2011 at 1:56 pm
My first thought was, Nico knocks it out of the park with hilarious commentary again, and then I get the delight of actually seeing said mustache mugs. I love you, internet.
March 21, 2011 at 2:29 pm
The mug is gone! I wonder why?
March 21, 2011 at 2:42 pm
google it, the link wasn’t working for some reason…
March 21, 2011 at 3:00 pm
Oh, I’m glad I wasn’t having a seizure. I couldn’t see the mug, either. Stop sort of rhyming, me.
March 21, 2011 at 5:43 pm
I swore this was going to link to one of these…
http://www.shanware.com/images/MUSTACHE.JPG
My parents have a number of old German steins like this.
March 21, 2011 at 6:46 pm
Forget Urban Outfitters. Much better mugs here:
http://www.oregonwildhair.com
And they aren’t made by hipsters, don’t sell on Etsy and DO care if copyrights are infringed.
Oh the fuckery.
March 21, 2011 at 9:06 pm
http://www.etsy.com/search/handmade?q=mustache+mug
March 21, 2011 at 11:40 am
I understand their reasoning, but when someone actually admits to stealing in their store banner, I don’t think there are a lot of (Earl) gray areas.
March 21, 2011 at 12:29 pm
True, and that should be treated as an obvious and clear violation of community standards, poste haste (and maybe it was–her store WAS completely changed). It’s OK with me if the legal repercussions take longer.
March 24, 2011 at 2:00 pm
Here’s some irony. My comment was taken, word for word, and used by somebody else to start a forum. I guess I better call my copyright lawyer. http://www.etsy.com/teams/7722/business-topics/discuss/6826584/page/1
March 21, 2011 at 11:26 am
“We are delighted that our Members help us keep Etsy’s integrity in tact by Flagging items that do not meet our criteria.”
Hey guess what? You have to actually DO something with the information in order to keep your integrity.
(Also, I didn’t realize integrity could be out of tact. Derp.)
March 21, 2011 at 11:26 am
As an Etsy seller, this sort of shit pisses me off to no end. Makes me want to leave the site entirely but go where? I need the sales that Etsy generates, but I feel like I’m dealing with a company using the “indie” vibe just to make money. They don’t care about me, my store, who rips me off and who doesn’t. They just want the $$$$$ that my sales generate but they are FAKE.
Not only that, but it pains me to be involved in a community where anything with a fake mustache is automatically “cool”.
March 21, 2011 at 12:07 pm
I hope I don’t get my head handed to me for pointing this out, but the only person that can really take legal action against a copyright violation is the holder of the copyright.
However, just because we can’t start a civil suit on Jess’ behalf is no reason for Etsy to take the coward’s way out by basically saying “we are not getting involved in seller disputes”
March 21, 2011 at 12:19 pm
Yes, and facebook was set up to get chicks. But once the megabucks come rolling in, it is very hard for many companies to maintain their ethical integrity. Even when they do (Body Shop, Ben & Jerry’s, Green & Blacks), sooner or later some multinational bully comes along and swallows them whole anyway.
I don’t think Etsy is any different. They’re there to make money, like anybody else. They’re not my friends. I don’t want to share a spliff with them or hang out and play Scrabble. The majority of sellers on Etsy are real artists and craftspeople, and resellers are always an issue. Even at big shows and fairs. As long as I don’t find out they’re dealing arms or wiping the arses of the religious right, then I will continue to use Etsy as a cheap way to get my product seen by (potentially) millions of people.
March 21, 2011 at 12:21 pm
Though, I do hate the forced camaraderie and wholesomeness Etsy forces on sellers. I don’t want to use the word whimsicle. Faeries were no help at all, the lazy cunts. And all I want to say is,’Here are some nice things. Buy them or fuck off.’ What would be wrong with that?
March 21, 2011 at 12:37 pm
Not a fucking thing.
I bet if you type it like this: “HeRe aRe SoMe nIcE ThInGs. bUy ThEm Or fUcK oFf” they might let it slide.
March 21, 2011 at 3:47 pm
That is my entire approach to sales. When you have some nice stuff (which, holy shit, you do) there shouldn’t be any need to kiss ass.
March 21, 2011 at 4:29 pm
You know what annoys me most about the Etsy pressure to be manic? Exclamation marks. I caved and I use them but I flippin’ hate them. In life there are few real moments that call for them. A lot like the word love.
“He’s got a gun!”
“My hand is stuck in this wasps’ nest!”
“I just won €5 on a scratch card!”
These are acceptable uses of the exclamation mark.
“OMG!!! Look at my precious polymer clay unicorn bollocks on earwires!!!” is not.
March 21, 2011 at 12:33 pm
Hipsters have to reflexively flee from anything that more than 10 people like, so the mustaches are on their way out. Just wait.
March 21, 2011 at 12:35 pm
Also. That indie vibe is an asset that they gained from sellers who actually work hard to produce quality stuff. And now they use that asset to culturally launder a lot of garbage and a lot of ripoffs, because it makes money.
Thing is, they are gambling with that reputational asset. If they don’t find a way to deal with all this (and I think the mass-produced knockoffs from China are worse than glitterbugshit or whatever her name is) effectively, they will piss away their reputation to the point that people with quality merchandise won’t list there anymore. And as soon as enough people like you find another way, Etsy will start to lose all their hipster cache that good crafters provided in the first place.
March 21, 2011 at 3:53 pm
I’m an etsy seller too and I know how you feel. That’s why for the past couple of months I have been looking up and tracking down local shops to sell my work on commission. I suggest that, it often pays better too…
March 21, 2011 at 11:27 am
“If you see infringement of your copyrights or other intellectual property rights on Etsy, you may contact the other person to try to work it out”
WOW, super helpful Etsy. If someone rips me off I am supposed to just ask them nicely to knock it off.
March 21, 2011 at 11:37 am
Oooh! I’m gonna glue those on an octopus & put it on some barn wood. Convo me for the exclusive vintage moustache version.
March 21, 2011 at 12:15 pm
“You may.” So etsys’s giving permission to contact someone?
March 21, 2011 at 12:16 pm
Actually (from personal experience) most sane and sensible people realize they’ve been caught out, and start back-pedalling after receiving a nice e-mail or letter pointing out your work, their work, and copyright.
But this is not one of those times.
March 21, 2011 at 9:12 pm
Wait…are those earrings? I must have them.
March 22, 2011 at 6:23 am
because I am happy to give credit where credit is due … they are pins (though I suppose you probably could wear them as earrings) created by Balabushka Remnants http://www.kstreetwear.com/2009/12/balabushka-remnants-%E2%80%98fuck%E2%80%99-pin-badges/
March 21, 2011 at 11:27 am
I read those links… I still don’t understand what the ‘report’ button is for… Have I caught the derp?
March 21, 2011 at 11:29 am
Please do not use Twitter’s #taggingsystem to attack user @EarlGrey. You are a vibrant member of the Twitter community, but your concerns are of no concern to us.
March 21, 2011 at 11:30 am
I got a similar email when I reported Mr. I-trace-famous-comic-book-artists-work-as-my-own. Only I was also informed that only the copyright holder can lodge a complaint, so if it bothered me, I needed to go tell the original artists. You know what, I did.
Etsy needs to get its head out of its ass and take responsibility for the integrity of the items on the site.
March 21, 2011 at 11:36 pm
I did that with Jess Fink/Threadless-let them both know what was up, and that crease-and-decyst wasn’t going to cut it.
The email answering the one I sent to legal@etsy.com informing them that I’d done this was chock-full of blabberjaw.
Which made me think that either they hadn’t read my email, or that they were so terminally full of derp that they just couldn’t wrap their dizzy little heads around what I was saying.
Oh. I am so waiting for the inevitable day when they do this one time too many, and they get bitch-slapped by somebody who can really atomize the rainbow-colored bubble they like to live inside.
March 21, 2011 at 11:30 am
I knew I should have flagged her for “not enough glitter/absolutely no biscuits.”
March 21, 2011 at 11:33 am
LMAO Very tempted to do so. Very.
March 21, 2011 at 12:41 pm
I love you.
March 21, 2011 at 1:06 pm
Awww, now I’m getting verklempt!
March 21, 2011 at 12:52 pm
BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 21, 2011 at 2:05 pm
I wish you would.
March 21, 2011 at 11:30 am
Didn’t someone on here actually send an Etsy staff member the link to this site with the dead on visible proof that Glitterbiscuits was stealing/gloating?
Whether “Improper Flagging” or not, people have done other ways to report her, so what the deuce? The other options should have been noticed at least, technically.
Ugh.
March 21, 2011 at 12:36 pm
I remember that, one of our own is friends with the Head Of Something Or Other at Etsy and sent her the link. What did the Head say?
March 21, 2011 at 12:40 pm
When I read “What did the head say?”, why did I envision a person sized penis with a smiley face and wire-rimmed glasses answering “I don’t know lets ask the ball sack?”
March 21, 2011 at 1:05 pm
If we wanted a painting of this, would we ask Cappy Sue or the “Say What” guy?
March 21, 2011 at 8:01 pm
“What the deuce?” You just don’t hear that often enough.
March 21, 2011 at 11:31 am
I can’t. I don’t. Fuck, Etsy.
March 21, 2011 at 11:32 am
Vibrant? But I want to sparkle!
March 21, 2011 at 11:33 am
#35 Emily,I think that’s exactly it. Sellers are buying an image that Etsy’s selling and it doesn’t look like they really want to enforce the rules they have set. I can see them getting sued for false practices over this. It would be easier for them to actually do everything they can to back up their claims rather than deal with what mess this might cause later. This could hurt Etsy’s business in itself.
March 21, 2011 at 12:42 pm
Image is right. They managed to shut down the guy who made the stupid cards about getting raped or your kid having Down Syndrome. Remember how? THEY CHANGED THE RULES FOR THAT ONE SELLER.
For some reason it mattered to them over that guy, and his stupid cards were handmade and followed all the rules. But they got so much bad press that reflected badly on Etsy as a whole that they created a loophole about hatespeech just to get rid of him.
So how do we use that weakness to our advantage here?
March 21, 2011 at 1:15 pm
I’m guessing a lot of craft bloggers spend some time here? If all the prominent craft bloggers take Etsy to task over this or the wedding dresses, then Etsy might take notice. Or the non-craft media might. That’s how you use that weakness to change this.
March 21, 2011 at 11:34 am
I totally get that Etsy has pretty much the same process for copyright infringement as a lot of other sites.
The seller making it clear she stole the work and basically giving a big F-U to the world about it in her shop announcement…sorry Etsy but Imma flag the shit outta that offensive nonsense.
March 21, 2011 at 11:36 am
Dontcha know? No flag, no country… that’s improper flagging. While we’re at it, we could offer Glitterbiscuits ‘cake or death.’ (we are all out of cake…)
March 21, 2011 at 11:38 am
lol CAKE OR DEATH!
March 21, 2011 at 12:08 pm
So my only choice is OR DEATH?!
(Could I have the chicken then?)
March 21, 2011 at 1:20 pm
We need someone who can fly a plane and didn’t have the fish… so yeah, that works.
March 21, 2011 at 7:54 pm
…and DON’T call me ‘Shirley’.
March 21, 2011 at 11:36 am
another valid reason I do not support Etsy. It is more or less a sweatshop, even if the sellers have little-to-no talent.
Fuck Etsy.
March 21, 2011 at 11:37 am
I’m confused then. If flagging this person wasn’t the correct way to go about solving the problem then how come there is a flagging button equipped with “not handmade by seller” ?!?!?! Freaking cow dung if you ask me…
March 21, 2011 at 11:37 am
Vibrant? I’ll give them vibrant. I won’t leave much in tact, either.
Hey, who wants to make identical glitter moustache octopi flipping the bird and post them in dozens of different Etsy shops?
We could title them all the same, too. Perhaps “Lest We Regret”
March 21, 2011 at 5:59 pm
I’m so going to use my artistic ability to make one, possibly more. And then maybe come up with some way to use them to support copyright awareness or someshit. The details are a bit fuzzy as yet, but glitter moustache octopi flipping the bird are the sorts of thing I can really get behind.
March 21, 2011 at 11:38 am
Ok, that explains why they didn’t flip out at my flagging. I flagged her for being an asshole and promoting an “atmosphere” that makes etsy hostile to other sellers.
That’s total BS that you can’t flag for infringement. Way to Fail Etsy.
March 21, 2011 at 11:39 am
But what the heck is up her nose??
March 21, 2011 at 11:40 am
You know, this really pissed me the twatwaffle off, I vote we continue to spam-report people like this until Etsy has to stop tweeting their boring little tea parties and do some derping work! Vive la Révolution!
March 21, 2011 at 11:40 am
Apparently Etsy is the place to work if censoring the good guy is preferable to taking a stand. So, as part of the application process, can somebody direct me to the Regretsy flag station so that I can report all this anti-Etsy nonsense to the proper authorities (Etsy staff)?
March 21, 2011 at 11:40 am
Dear Redacted,
Thanks for pointing out an illegal activity to which we may be complicit by hosting it on our site and collecting fees from the proceeds of said illegal activity. However, we are so shitting-in-our-pants-scared of being sued by thieves that rather than enforce our own policies, we would rather pat you on the head and ask you to quietly go away. If you don’t, you can be sure we’ll ban you for something trivial but easy to enforce.
Clearly, you are trying to work through channels, which means you’re 100% more law-abiding than someone who could actually scare us.
Still not giving a crap!
Etsy Admins
March 21, 2011 at 11:41 am
Too funny because Etsy shut down my shop for being flagged for copyright infringement when I sell legitimate non copyright infringing items:/ ETSY is Definitely doing it wrong!
March 21, 2011 at 1:10 pm
oh hey poppy. i wondered where you went. i really liked your stuff on there. sucks they kicked you off.
March 21, 2011 at 2:17 pm
That is such bullshit. WTF.
March 21, 2011 at 9:23 pm
Ooh! You’re stuff is super-cute.
March 22, 2011 at 12:19 am
Love your stuff! But I must ask…where are the mustachioed snoods?
March 21, 2011 at 11:42 am
reading Esty lameo responses on an empty stomach makes me want to vomit
March 21, 2011 at 11:45 am
Maybe Etsy is confused as to what their own rules mean? Maybe they cut and pasted the same rules from another site?
March 21, 2011 at 11:45 am
Look, I don’t want to have to find a virgin and make them skip through the fairy patch to steal the hair of a unicorn so that I can bring it to the leprechaun with one eye and then paint with all the colors of the wind or whatever the hell Etsy makes you do to report copyright infringements.* I want them to put down the tea, wipe their fake mustaches clean, put away the Twilight butt plugs, and actually do their job!
*I did not read their policies on pretending to care about Copyright Infringements because it would either make me drool on myself or throw my coffee mug at the computer. Possibly both. I don’t want to find out which one would end up happening first.
March 21, 2011 at 11:46 am
This is disappointing.
Also, by the time the whole “Okay, contacted the real person who made this design, they’ll mail in evidence” thing is over, the seller can have packed their shit up and left for the fleamarkets, like this girl used to brag.
March 21, 2011 at 11:46 am
WTF is etsy’s major malfunction? how the hell are we supposed to keep up-to-date on their legal briefings? are we supposed to file shit in triplicate, too?
March 21, 2011 at 12:23 pm
Don’t forget to include the TPS report with a cover sheet.
March 22, 2011 at 10:41 pm
I think you have my stapler.
March 21, 2011 at 11:47 am
What a crock of shit. I think they really just do not want tens of thousands of people bothering them. Like an old boss I used to have, who didn’t care HOW unprofessional you were, as long as he didn’t have to hear about it.
March 21, 2011 at 11:49 am
How unbelievably depressing
Especially given how many of us expressly created Etsy accounts to report/flag/throw red paint at this
March 21, 2011 at 2:18 pm
I was even thinking of using my newly created account to start a shop in the future, but now I’m not so sure.
March 21, 2011 at 11:51 am
Someone should go post this on the Etsy forums so they can see what’s going on.
Yes it will get shut down but at least you could get the word out to sellers.
I’m betting most Etsy sellers would be SHOCKED that Etsy didn’t take care of her!
March 21, 2011 at 12:12 pm
Actually…no…they wouldn’t be, I am sorry to say.
March 21, 2011 at 6:44 pm
Any Etsy seller active enough to be part of the forums wouldn’t be surprised at all.
March 21, 2011 at 11:56 am
That’s some bullshit. Even if the person copying the design closed the shop, Threadless should still take legal actions against Etsy for condoning this kind of behavior.
March 21, 2011 at 12:00 pm
It sucks but this is the way Etsy HAS to conduct this policy. IANAL but the nature of copyright law is such that the copyright holder can grant other people permission to use their designs (either directly via a license agreement, by releasing the design under Creative Commons, or other means). Since Etsy has no idea whether this has taken place unless the copyright holder themselves contacts Etsy and makes the report they don’t have grounds to remove an item.
As for making your contact information known to the person ripping you off. That is also a necessary evil, copyright infringement is legally actionable so all parties need to know who each other are.
March 21, 2011 at 12:12 pm
Agreed, but I think there are times when there is no question that they have grounds to remove something.
For example, when someone is admittedly selling fake Louis Vuitton bags, Etsy really should not require a letter from Louis Vuitton to close them down.
Likewise, when someone is admitting to theft in their store banner, they should be closed down immediately, if only while Etsy pretends to investigate.
And even if there were no copyright issues, I have to believe that using your store to harass and taunt another Etsy seller goes against the mandatory smiley face rule.
March 21, 2011 at 1:13 pm
I had my description copied word for word, had emails from that seller admitting to doing it, but Etsy still did nothing to help me put an end to it.
You’re right, if the seller admits to breaking the rules, why do we have to prove that they are?
March 21, 2011 at 12:21 pm
The good news is that once the copyright owner has filed such a notice, Etsy is required by law to automatically and promptly remove access to the infringing items until and unless the seller files a counterclaim.
Anything less than a sworn notice is Internet drama, and we know how crafters love creamy drama swaddled lovingly in tissue paper made from an old-growth Oregon forest, lightly scented with musk and Jergens.
March 21, 2011 at 1:18 pm
I think you just described my junk in that last sentence.
March 21, 2011 at 12:48 pm
This is all very true however there is valid proof she wasn’t given permission, said on her own volition. She put out there in her own words, that she stole it and she doesn’t care. In cases like this, the DMCA is enough. In the very least Etsy should have pulled the store down until the investigation was through. They should have opened a ticket (or case) and gotten proof on BOTH ends. Glitter should have to prove she had the right to use that image. I don’t understand why this is all on Jess. It should go both ways. These reproducers shouldn’t get a pass. It sucks these laws are in place to basically protect shit bags verses good people.
March 21, 2011 at 1:21 pm
This is gonna sound lame… copyright is actually not intended to protect the creative. It’s intended to protect the money-making of a person with authorization to duplicate. I think that sucks, but there you go. And you can’t really prove that glitterbatshit didn’t have authorization on the basis of her online taunts.
You could suspend, though, on the basis of violating community standards.
March 21, 2011 at 3:56 pm
no no! copyright is intended to “To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.”
in other words, the exact OPPOSITE of what it’s used for today, which is to protect the money-making of a person with authorization to duplicate. lots of supreme court decisions regarding copyright (Feist v Rural is a good one) have said that something that looks a little like infringement is perfectly allowable under copyright if it advances the public good.
again, not the way it’s invoked today, but you did say “intended,” and i’m literally sitting in my grad class on copyright law right now, so i just had to jump in.
i know, tl;dr.
March 21, 2011 at 4:15 pm
It’s nice to know should I ever need a lawyer I can count on fartmoustache.
What? So my lawyer’s name is fartmoustache what does that have to do with anything?
March 21, 2011 at 12:08 pm
Such a warm, fuzzy feeling.
March 21, 2011 at 12:11 pm
If Van Gogh were alive today and trying to sell on Etsy, he would have cut off both ears in frustration.
March 21, 2011 at 12:13 pm
I just really love that Lisa June is having a dialogue with the Earl Grey tea. She’s not falling for any of his snappy banter again!
I can’t get over that one.
March 21, 2011 at 12:15 pm
I’M NOT FALLING FOR IT AGAIN, EARL GREY
March 21, 2011 at 12:18 pm
Wait, she’s talking to a teabag or acting like a douchebag? I’m confuffled…
March 21, 2011 at 12:27 pm
Both.
March 22, 2011 at 10:46 pm
Dear Lisa June,
Earl Grey is not responsible for the roofies in your tea… instead place the blame on one of the mustachioed hipsters in your office. My money’s on that shady one in the purple one-armed scarf.
Sincerely,
Me
#EarlGreywasframed
March 21, 2011 at 1:05 pm
she makes enough fucking money, working for etsy. buy some fucking tea from teavana. i make 79 dollars a week and I AM STILL VERY SERIOUS ABOUT TEA.
March 21, 2011 at 11:20 pm
Hey cool! I’m a tea nut too! I love Murchie’s from Vancouver, BC (but I assume most everyone here’s American) but I’ll check out this teavana place! hey, Have you ever had someone respond that they too are obsessed with tea, so you ask their fave, and they say “Red Rose”!!?? *shakes head* fyi, my fave is Jasmine Downey Pearls, you? Earl Grey is just harsh nasty low-grade tea with pretty oils added to cover up the gross, LOL!
March 21, 2011 at 11:23 pm
…not bad enough this crowd makes me drink- Now you’ve got me craving tea at midnight! Regretsy’s gonna turn me into a trainwreck, LOL!
March 21, 2011 at 10:46 pm
All kinds of things start getting snarky when you’ve inhaled too much organic instant creamer.
I just don’t tweet about my private beverage convos.
Maybe that’s why they’re ignoring me now…
#I’msorryIrishBreakfast!
March 21, 2011 at 12:16 pm
Maybe someone should rip off etsy’s logo and make money off it.
March 21, 2011 at 12:16 pm
This is insanity! This is why so many hard working artists stop what they’re doing.
Etsy, you have caused me to break out the sign…
March 21, 2011 at 12:33 pm
March 21, 2011 at 12:22 pm
From the Help page:
“Etsy prohibits the selling of counterfeit goods. Please do not sell them. A seller may be held liable for selling counterfeit products if the seller knows or has reason to know that the products are counterfeit. If the seller fails to inquire about the authenticity of the products, for fear of what such inquiry may yield, this may constitute knowledge. Once knowledge has been established, a reseller of counterfeit products may be held liable for counterfeiting.”
So why do they do nothing about it when we’ve all provided clear evidence, and when clearly the seller knew they were counterfeiting?
March 21, 2011 at 12:25 pm
Here’s the reply I got from Etsy:
March 21, 2011 at 12:31 pm
I am embarrassed FOR Etsy. I’ve never – ever – heard of a website that made it this impossible to get copyrighted images removed. I’ve had personal images removed (they were stolen) from a gossip site, which is almost impossible(btw) with just a DMCA statement via email! True, the text and gossip couldn’t be removed but the images were gone. All I had to do was send the DMCA and list where those original images were at online. Within 2 hours it was yanked. I don’t know if it made a difference but I did a whois on their domain and sent the email (DMCA) to the host / domain provider. The were very helpful. The only difference I think that would have been made, was if Jess herself sent an email. If they ignored her DMCA email, then that’s more than fucked. And while I’m complaining, what the hell is the point of a flagging system if it’s not for things like this? I hope something comes of this Glitterfucksticks. She’s an arrogant, rude, thief.
March 21, 2011 at 1:49 pm
Oh if they ignore her DMCA notice, they’re liable for contributory infringement. One can only hope they would try.
March 21, 2011 at 9:22 pm
That’s the point of this though, Jess herself hadn’t sent a DMCA. That response was to regretsy readers flagging items.
March 21, 2011 at 12:31 pm
this is why etsy has devolved into one, big mess of resellers, scammers, and anyone looking to make a quick buck. all the while, the etsy staff just sits on their butts and congratulates themselves on the great success of their sham site.
back in december, my boyfriend purchased a lovely piece-of-crap, 99-cent watch for $60. when i looked into it further, i found that those watches were everywhere, all over etsy–sometimes for over $100. my persistent flags were dutifully ignored and when i tried to take matters into my own hands, i was rewarded by having my account frozen. you are not to spread rumors about another user’s items or shop, they told me, if you have any concerns please use the “flag” button.
i hope that site goes down in flames, i really do. it’s as bad as those dead millionaire relative e-mails.
March 21, 2011 at 12:33 pm
Etsy flagging, just to give you peace of mind you did your duty, but really its just filed straight into the junk folder….sigh
March 21, 2011 at 12:34 pm
April, I left a “friendly” comment on Regretsy’s facebook page letting them know how I felt about this situation. I was removed in less than 10 seconds. They have enough time to e-mail someone letting them know that they are becoming annoying with their flagging, and more than enough time on their hands to monitor their facebook page for negative critiscism on their handling of copyright infringement, but NOT enough time to actually do something about it?
I think that more than qualifies for Maximum Derpness.
March 21, 2011 at 12:49 pm
Do you mean ETSY’S Facebook page?
March 21, 2011 at 12:53 pm
HAHHAH Derp… yes, that is what I mean. ::sheepish smile::
March 21, 2011 at 8:20 pm
I did the same thing and my comment was gone faster than you could say, “douchebag”.
March 21, 2011 at 1:02 pm
Damn, I still can’t believe I did that.
March 21, 2011 at 1:14 pm
You mean Etsy’s FB page, not Regretsy’s, right?
March 21, 2011 at 1:15 pm
Oops, sorry, I didn’t realize I hadn’t reloaded this page for a few minutes…
March 21, 2011 at 12:35 pm
It’s all about the $$$. Etsy would rather look the other way and take in the fees from the counterfits and fakes than do the right thing and enforce it’s own rules.
March 21, 2011 at 2:03 pm
C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Etsy’s Ass. Mustache.)
March 21, 2011 at 2:46 pm
Take out the period. I’m sure they have ass mustaches, too.
March 21, 2011 at 3:47 pm
No joke, I saw a pair of underwear with a mustache on the rear on Etsy’s front page.
March 21, 2011 at 11:43 pm
OMG, and ever since puberty I’ve been EMBARRASSED of my “eastern european blooded woman” assbush… Maybe the time has come for the ugly duckling to become a swan?… Maybe my assbush can get a career modelling thick-framed hipster glasses, fascinators et al, for ETSY! hurray!
March 21, 2011 at 3:07 pm
I’m gonna make it my first priority tomorrow to call someone an ass mustache XD
March 21, 2011 at 12:38 pm
And on top of all that, the writer does not seem to know that “intact” is one word, not two.
March 21, 2011 at 12:39 pm
I appreciate the Earl Gray tea for doing the right thing and attacking the stomachs of all who work at Etsy! Mwahahaha!
March 21, 2011 at 12:42 pm
So what was the fucking point of vox populi?
March 21, 2011 at 12:44 pm
So. They WANT us to flood their legal department with complaint e-mails? That’s how I read the statement:
“Please contact Etsy’s Designated Agent to submit Notifications of Claimed Infringement and Copyright Counter-Notices at the following address:
Designated Agent to Receive Notification of Claimed Infringement:
Etsy, Inc.
Attn: Legal Department
55 Washington Street Suite 512
Brooklyn, NY 11201
USA
Fax: (718) 732-2613
E-mail: legal@etsy.com” (note my use of quotation marks – that statement was written by someone at etsy and should not be confused with anything I have written. I am adding it here purely for ummm entertainment purposes. Or educational ones. yeah yeah, that’s it.)
Anyway, perhaps if everyone flooded the legal department for a few days, the policy would suddenly get revampified.
March 21, 2011 at 12:58 pm
All it would take is a few clicks from an Etsy admin to have the shop removed. Put down the Earl Grey and do it already. It won’t come as any surprise to Glitterbiscuits – she’s clearly been shaking in her boots since the news of her theft went viral. She’s probably scared shitless that she’s being sued for all she’s worth, which probably isn’t much.
March 21, 2011 at 1:03 pm
Out of all the people who read Regretsy… isn’t there one lawyer lurking here that would be willing to pro bono some legal smackdown once in a while? I think we just need someone with a nice cease and desist form letter, right?
I own graphittidesign.com, and from time to time I’ve gotten cease and desist letters for graphittidesigns (notice the s).com. They make and sell a lot of action figures (Clerks, Sin City, etc.) and apparently they forgot to get permission a couple of times and -I- have been the one to get the legal smackdown letter. It was a lot of babble about copyright infringement, after seeing a few of them I am sure it’s just a form letter.
I’ve also accidentally received cases of action figures when FedEx can’t tell the difference between New Jersey and PA. A little less scary to get those than to get the lawyers wrath in the mail…
March 21, 2011 at 4:31 pm
They are just forms. You can pull them from a website online and take out various text, entering your own. If the DMCA goes ignored ( waiting 4 business days) then you get a lawyer and go through the mess. Typically doesn’t ever go that far. It’s a hassle to keep arguing. Most websites which have forums, contributing members and the like will yank things down with a DMCA. I can understand is Etsy wanting it to go to their legal dept though. Now, if someone sent a DMCA to their legal dept, the email address intended for these things, and it still goes untouched – that’s bullshit 100%.
I have an issue with their having a flagging system yet not using it for anything purposeful. It seems like it’s only there to make sellers feel comfortable thus trusting Etsy blindly. This is deception on Etsy’s part.
Either way, if Jess doesn’t do anything then there’s nothing anyone can say or do to change the situation. Glitter will get her karma, it ALWAYS comes back around.
March 21, 2011 at 8:24 pm
She REALLY makes me want to give karma a hand.
March 21, 2011 at 1:07 pm
“Members help us keep Etsy’s integrity in tact by Flagging items that do not meet our criteria.”
In tact?
Plus there are several capitalization errors. Call me nitpicky, but crappily written announcements do not reflect well on a company doing business all over the world.
March 21, 2011 at 1:33 pm
Seriously, that’s what I thought too. As my job was out-sourced a couple of years ago, I’m now an under-employed tech writer. I’d be happy to clean that up for them. For a small charge.
In tact – sheesh!
March 21, 2011 at 1:40 pm
“Ah, Mr. B, what would YOU know about dignity?”
March 21, 2011 at 3:01 pm
I might seriously love you for this quote.
March 21, 2011 at 1:08 pm
i really, really want this bullshit to go not only viral, but front-page of every major newspaper in the country. THAT IS HOW MUCH I HATE ETSY’S BULLSHIT.
March 21, 2011 at 1:13 pm
Nice.
March 21, 2011 at 4:19 pm
You meant front webpage of every major newpaper right? As a friend of many friends shit canned from various local publications now strictly digital, I can say newspapers are goin’ the way of the jackalope.
March 21, 2011 at 4:54 pm
EITHER WAY.
(sorry about your friends, that sucks.)
March 21, 2011 at 11:09 pm
I was just being a snarky twit and giving you a hard time.
March 21, 2011 at 11:54 pm
Anyone in Georgia heard of a news site that has one of those advocate-type reporters? You know, the ones who shame your contractor in the news by telling everyone how he’s 6 years behind in building you your house, and the next day he jumps on it & has it done in a week? (I dunno what those reporters are called, ha!)
March 21, 2011 at 1:14 pm
The current Earl Grey is the head of the Cremation Society of Great Britain.
Lisa, darling, those black, flaky things you just soaked in boiling water might not be tea…
March 21, 2011 at 1:20 pm
This is ridiculous. What kind of corrupt system ignores tens of thousands of flags? I smell something fishy…
I was thinking about opening an etsy shop, but now I’m not so sure. Way to lose potential business!
March 21, 2011 at 4:21 pm
That fishy smell is the dirty taint of injustice m’dear.
March 21, 2011 at 1:21 pm
Hi, another new Regretsyan here
. I’m assuming Ms. Fink is working on this situation with Threadless and their lawyers, so I’ve been hesitant to complain to Etsy myself. Getting the BBB and/or IC3 involved seems like something Etsy might get more concerned about. Similar to what PeelieDutch said, I think Etsy would be most likely to act on this stuff if their profits and reputation were at stake. I don’t know if either of those would be impacted solely by complaints inspired by this one situation, but sending many complaints to both groups might help 
. Here’s some info: http://etsybitch.blogspot.com/2009/12/valid-complaints-being-sent-to-bbb.html
/boring tl;dr post is boring and long
March 21, 2011 at 7:13 pm
The Better Business Bureau is not a government agency, and is largely toothless. It would be fun to see this reported to the NYS Attorney General.
March 21, 2011 at 1:29 pm
Had anyone else ever noticed that it seems that the bigger a company gets the stupider and further from it’s original roots it goes? All for the sake of making more money and shitting on the very people who made it so huge in the first place.
March 21, 2011 at 6:43 pm
I watched this happen with ebay and Paypal. I was once devoted to both of those sites, and now refuse to use either. We’re raped for fees to sell on ebay, and then forced to use their own payment service (they own Paypal), and sellers are banned from ebay of they will take anything else.
Worldwide garage sale, my ass. Most of it is reselling and drop-shipping now.
March 21, 2011 at 1:29 pm
Soooo… what I’m getting from this is that we absolutely SHOULD continue to flood their inbox with complaints whenever something like this is brought to our attention again, right? Anything to make more work for them.
March 21, 2011 at 4:24 pm
Yes but leaving the vulgarity and racial slurs out to try and be taken seriously. I mean I know I have a penchant for vulgarity, speaking my mind in a most ineloquent manner and raging with the best o’ em but when lodging a formal complaint, I rein it in.
March 21, 2011 at 1:29 pm
Because I needed MORE reasons why Etsy is made of crap.
March 21, 2011 at 1:30 pm
Um… But I thought that copyright infringement *DID* violate Etsy policies?
(You have NO IDEA how much this is tempting my dark side to make a bunch of shady print-out goods and sell them there… >_< MUST RESIST THE EVIL.)
March 21, 2011 at 6:44 pm
Use etsy’s logo. See how they like it. They either remove it and show themselves to be hypocrites, or they do nothing and you make money.
March 21, 2011 at 1:36 pm
“What if Etsy receives multiple copyright or intellectual property policy complaints about me over time?
Etsy may be required to suspend or terminate your account.”
Huh. “may be”. or not. whatever.
March 21, 2011 at 1:37 pm
How can I trust anybody who can’t hold down her caffeine? Lil’ miss sensitive tummykins ain’t gonna have the grit required to deal with glitterbatshit.
March 21, 2011 at 1:53 pm
She’s probably just bulimic, hence why she would allow such vomit to remain on Etsy.
March 21, 2011 at 1:57 pm
Fucking pussy.
(she said, shakily lifting her fifth 16oz mug of strongly brewed silver tea to her twitching mouth..)
March 21, 2011 at 1:44 pm
So when is Regretsy going to make a refugee site for former Etsy sellers who are sick of the bullshit and want somewhere safe to sell that isn’t too expensive and actually gets traffic? That’s what I wanna know.
March 21, 2011 at 1:48 pm
Maybe… *mumbleweshoulddothatmumble*
1-2-3 NOT IT!
March 21, 2011 at 1:55 pm
I need a job. And I won’t even fuck off and puke up tea while I’m doing it.
March 21, 2011 at 4:06 pm
I have a friend who is a genius programmer, and I’m beginning to dream of competing with Etsy. My dreams are big, and include having some sort of jury system in place to open a shop. If it isn’t hand made, it can’t get it. Sell supplies? Those had better be hand made, too. By you. In your own home sweatshop, not one in China. Also, no “vintage.” A place for hand made items is for hand made items. Let Etsy become the go-to place for resellers of cheap crap and garage sale finds.
March 21, 2011 at 6:45 pm
zibbit.com
March 21, 2011 at 1:45 pm
From the Etsy FAQ on copyright infringement:
What if Etsy receives multiple copyright or intellectual property policy complaints about me over time?
Etsy may be required to suspend or terminate your account
Sure they will.
March 21, 2011 at 4:53 pm
Watch out for the flying pigs. They’re a little messy…
March 21, 2011 at 1:49 pm
So nothing would happen if a person was to buy items from someone’s shop, open up his/her own shop, and sell those items as his/her own creations, right?
Yeah…good criteria…
March 21, 2011 at 1:57 pm
Well, what I’ve taken away from this whole fiasco is simply this, Etsy can eat a dick. I’ll sell my stuff elsewhere.
March 21, 2011 at 1:58 pm
Fuck that, I’m going to keep flagging copyrighted material. Do your jobs and STFU.
March 21, 2011 at 1:58 pm
And to think I almost considered applying to work for these people
March 21, 2011 at 2:01 pm
So… no comeuppance?!
March 21, 2011 at 2:16 pm
Umm, Etsy? in tact is spelled intact.
Now we all know why Etsy encourages bad spelling! They celebrate it in every snarky, dis respectful, hate ful, we can not stand sel lers who get on our nerves e mail (from the unknown Etsy Sup port) be cause Etsy ha tes sel lers most of al l. Ha te ha te ha te.
Let’s guess? The offending “seller” is related by blood to one of the 350 Etsy employees or their dogs or AND they dogs.
March 21, 2011 at 2:20 pm
Sometimes I seriously think Etsy is trying to encourage all the people with integrity to leave so they can just sit around, making money from the reseller farm. Luckily I have no such integrity and would happily sell my own mother as a “vintage” item if I could.
March 21, 2011 at 2:47 pm
LAME. I actually did report her for her trash talk, which is probably the only reason I didn’t get a nasty email back. That is sad. I have amazing friends on Etsy and it makes me sick to think they could be victims of art-thievery and Etsy do nothing about it.
Etsy staff = epic fail
March 21, 2011 at 3:04 pm
I was kind of sorta thinking of making an Etsy store some day in the far off future, but Regretsy has helped me realize what a bad idea that would be. I’ve had enough trouble reselling shit on eBay. What I mostly use Etsy for and love it for is buying extremely hard to find shit that almost needs to be handmade. Specifically, bondage gear. I don’t know why, but it is amazingly hard to find any decent leather harnesses and such on sites like Hustler and other mainstream places. I can’t afford any of the pieces I’ve got my eye on right now, but when I can I will buy the hell out of them. That’s the kind of shit you can’t be a Chinese reseller of. ~_^
March 21, 2011 at 9:29 pm
Why would you look on a mainstream site for bondage gear? Try a store that specializes in it like ExtremeRestraints or JT’s Stockroom (google them, they’re two of the biggest stores online for that stuff). Or better yet, get a fetlife (facebook for kinky people) account and check their groups for recommendations.
March 21, 2011 at 3:12 pm
When eBay has better enforcement on their policies than you, you know it’s time to pack up the chickens and call it a day.
March 21, 2011 at 3:16 pm
Really… They can’t just check it themselves..
March 21, 2011 at 3:27 pm
Great way to show your community that you give a flying fuck, ya cunts!
Also… What the fuck is that bit about vibrancy? People like Glitterbiscuntica are about as “vibrant” as my asshole, ‘kay thanks.
March 21, 2011 at 3:45 pm
All I can say is, screw those Etsy assholes. “Thanks for trying to prevent copyright infringement, but fuck you. We’re busy trying to find the chicken we use to make our ‘Pick of the Day.’ He keeps pooping every where.”
March 21, 2011 at 3:55 pm
I left a comment on Etsy’s Facebook that I’m sure has been removed already. Here it is if anyone’s interested:
I am appalled by the way Etsy has handled the Glitterbiscuits fiasco. I understand that this comment will be considered “calling out” and will be removed, but it needs to be said. Tens of thousands of people reported her and Etsy did nothing, so maybe by posting this others will be as outraged as myself and many others. Glitterbiscuits ADMITTED to stealing work and selling it and not caring. Yet when she was reported, all that was done was a form email was sent out saying it was not appropriate to flag someone for copyright infringement. I was planning to open an Etsy store, but after all this, you could not pay me to be a part of Etsy. I won’t be a part of something that will allow others to steal work and do nothing.
No way I’m opening an Etsy store now. Thanks to everyone who named alternatives.
March 21, 2011 at 4:30 pm
Copied and pasted your comment on the Etsy FB page since it’s sounds a bit more articulate.
I don’t think saying “Dear mustachioed dumb fucks, Do your fucking job it’s not like you are brain surgeons in the OR and are too busy to attend to the complaints of thousand of people bringing to your attention that Glittebiscuitcunt is ripping off another artist original work.” Here is a tip DO SOMETHING!” will be taken seriously. They’re feelings my get hurt and shit.
*Hope you don’t mind my blatant use of your intellectual property* ; )
March 21, 2011 at 4:52 pm
I try to sound articulate since I am an English major XD Although I like your wording better lol. Hey what do you know, my comment is still up and two people liked it! Sweet action.
March 21, 2011 at 7:24 pm
I too used your words as a base for my own comment. Feel free to re-jig this peoples
:
I am also appalled by the way Etsy has handled the Glitterbiscuits fiasco.
Probably this comment, like all the others that have been made, will be removed, but Etsy, you need to stop hiding from the facts. Tens of thousands of people reported her and Etsy did nothing, so maybe by posting this some of your 351,010 fans will ask what’s going on and maybe you will finally get your act together. Glitterbiscuits ADMITTED to stealing work and selling it and not caring. In fact, she used her shop banner to taunt the original creator of the work she stole. Yet when she was reported, Etsy did nothing.
I have an Etsy store, but after all this, you could not pay me to be a part of Etsy. I won’t be a part of something that will allow others to steal work and do nothing. I will be moving my shop elsewhere, and my custom once the last of my orders arrive. See you guys on Artfire or the like.
March 21, 2011 at 3:56 pm
So, I think Etsy should open a Chicago office so I can play dress up all day and not give a rat’s ass about anything that doesn’t spew rainbows and drip happiness.
What a charmed life these idiots lead.
March 21, 2011 at 4:11 pm
Wal-Mart and other companies have been sued big time over people having professional photographs reprinted or enlarged. Now they will refuse service if your photos look “too professional.” Is this situation really so different?
March 21, 2011 at 4:11 pm
Etsy only takes action when big name companies complain. I listed a vintage suit that I’m 99% sure is a Chanel suit, but it doesn’t have a label. I didn’t say it was Chanel, I was careful not to use the word Chanel *anywhere* in the listing, or say anything implying that it might be a Chanel suit.
But the buttons on the suit have a double C logo.
Chanel contacted Etsy and the listing was removed, I was told not to relist it, EVER. Because Chanel owns the rights to two letter C’s together worldwide. I’ll bet if glittertriscuits made t-shirts with a double C logo and started taunting Chanel in her banner, her shop would have been closed in a hot NY minute.
You can see the suit here, I can’t sell the damn thing anywhere now
http://vintagearcana.blogspot.com/2010/06/c-word.html
March 21, 2011 at 9:30 pm
If you noticed in that case Chanel complained, not an unrelated person. The copyright holder has to be the one to complain.
March 21, 2011 at 10:02 pm
Well Jess did complain, but that isn’t even really the point. The shirts weren’t even in the store anymore when people started flagging.
The seller violated the terms of use by using her banner and her profile to “discuss disputes with others or with Etsy.” Copyright issues aside, there’s no reason for that store to be open.
March 22, 2011 at 8:51 pm
I wish I could have been in on the conversation at the meeting etsy had about the 10 billion complaints that came in. I’m certain someone in the room was using one of these to draw a web diagram with “concern” and “turn negativity upsidedown” and “Helen means well” written on it.
March 21, 2011 at 4:13 pm
Looks like someone started a topic on this…
http://www.etsy.com/teams/7722/business-topics/discuss/6826714/page/1
I wish someone would start a topic about how Etsy deals with copyright infringement in general. Ugh.
Oooh, and have you seen Clitter?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VR4O68kUj5c
March 21, 2011 at 4:51 pm
i LOVE that this thread on etsy was made purely in jest
March 21, 2011 at 7:42 pm
No surprise, the thread was swiftly shut down. No explanation, just a ‘Let’s wrap this one up’. Etsy staff can shut down the thread, but not the shop it seems…
March 21, 2011 at 4:14 pm
Fuck em, when’s the next flag day?!
March 21, 2011 at 4:16 pm
a more realistic Etsy policy answer:
What if Etsy receives multiple copyright or intellectual property policy complaints about me over time?
Etsy will make you a featured seller and worship your crafting while dancing naked and sacrificing a goat.
March 21, 2011 at 4:19 pm
“Etsy prohibits the selling of counterfeit goods. Please do not sell them. A seller may be held liable for selling counterfeit products if the seller knows or has reason to know that the products are counterfeit.”
Orrrrrrr they may not be held liable. You know. Either way. I’m too busy with my fake mustache to care.
~Etsy
March 21, 2011 at 4:20 pm
The Glitterbiscuit shop is no longer up. Does that mean Etsy is listening??
March 21, 2011 at 4:30 pm
No, it’s up. She just emptied it.
March 21, 2011 at 4:24 pm
Jemmy, the jury idea sounds amazing. Let me know when you open up shop.
March 21, 2011 at 4:39 pm
Threadless (the company that printed Jess Fink’s design) replied to the heads-up on this:
“This Etsy store is definitely on our radar. We’re not cool with any Threadless designs being used or sold without permission and are happy to see that all the items on the Etsy shop have been removed. We’ve sent the info to our legal team and are looking into actions.”
I am curious whether any action would involve just glitterbiscuit or include the site as well, but at least someone takes this seriously.
Moral of this story is ditch the earl grey for some proper coffee in order to be useful/active (unless you’ve already opened the liquor cabinet, in which case: carry on).
March 21, 2011 at 5:39 pm
I would think legal action would include the site. It can be shown that although etsy was notified by many, many people about this shop & the seller her self publicly bragged about her thievery, etsy has refused to do anything about it & continued to let her keep her shop open.
March 21, 2011 at 9:33 pm
As far as I know Etsy has no liability unless they ignore a legal complaint from the copyright holder.
March 21, 2011 at 4:48 pm
If the police worked like etsy:
*Homeowner dials 911*. “Help! I’m being robbed!”
911: “Despite what we’ve always told people, a phone call is not the proper way to report a robbery. The correct way is to (politely) confront the robber & (politely) request that the (alleged) robber not take your stuff. Provide them with proof in writing that these things are yours & you don’t want them taken. Be sure to include your contact information. You must be polite, wholesome & creamy when you do this or we may have to arrest you instead. It would be extra creamy of you to offer them a cup of Earl Grey (preferable in a mustache mug). Have a nice day. *click*
March 21, 2011 at 5:11 pm
I want my $8 back that I wasted at Etsy when I tried selling there some time ago.
March 21, 2011 at 5:27 pm
Maybe next time we should just try reporting them for not using enough barn wood, and rusty spoons in their project.
March 21, 2011 at 5:33 pm
Sadly, that probably would be much more effective.
March 21, 2011 at 5:34 pm
I *did* flag her for being a meanie!
March 21, 2011 at 5:41 pm
Helen et al, I’m a painter and I *just* opened an etsy shop a couple of weeks ago for the purpose of selling some original paintings and prints. I’m not even sure this is the right forum for me as it seems more tailored to crafts than it is to fine arts (although sometimes there is a fine line). ANYWAY, I would be more than happy to set up shop somewhere else, somewhere that, say, doesn’t disregard copyright laws, or sell Chinese reproductions, or insult its users with condescending emails like the one above. Is it time to consider other options, and does anyone have good suggestions about where to look?
March 21, 2011 at 5:52 pm
Whoa! Etsy’s response was some serious bullshit. I had problems about a year ago with a fellow Etsy seller copying my jewelry, and I was new to the Forums and mentioned the person’s shop name, at the time not knowing that wasn’t allowed. The thread got shut down right away with a snarky comment from Admin. And of course Etsy did nothing about this woman copying my stuff. I ended up writing the seller directly, and at least she didn’t behave as badly as that uncreative troll Glitterbiscuits. Since then I’ve tried to learned to take copying as a compliment (which isn’t as easy as I’d hoped) — whatever happens, sellers are on their own because Etsy won’t help. Anyway, I hope Glitterbiscuits gets her comeuppance someday!
March 21, 2011 at 6:15 pm
I forgot to mention — of course I reported ShitterBiscuits’ shop to Etsy the other evening. Thanks, Regretsy, for the heads up on her skankfest of a shop.
March 21, 2011 at 6:06 pm
I just complained to etsy. SCREW EM.
March 21, 2011 at 7:18 pm
I don’t have an Etsy shop, but if somebody copied my stuff I think I would just do a cross-stitch embroidery that said “Glitterbiscuits stole my shit” and sell it for a few bucks.
I mean, Etsy can’t do anything if it’s art…right?
March 21, 2011 at 7:28 pm
Thats would be perfect, if etsy will not do the job might as well make a few bucks off it. we will call it limited edition.
March 21, 2011 at 7:52 pm
This is so aggravating. It’s complete bullshit the way they handled this. I seriously want to close up my shop now.
March 21, 2011 at 8:35 pm
I feel stupid. I actually believed all that crap about Etsy because I had only had excellent experiences selling my items and purchasing craft. Screw Etsy. You can’t claim to be handmade and then let all of this bollocks continue.
March 21, 2011 at 9:04 pm
Has anyone tried madeit.com.au – its an Australian website – newish and way better than etsy.
I have nearly opened up shop there..
BTW – Etsy is a bastard coated bastard with a bastard centre!
March 21, 2011 at 10:58 pm
Seriously, can someone stitch or embroider the etsy rules as written (or interpreted as comically as possible) in some form of an ingenious art-craft, shit-hock item… perhaps in a way that incorporates etsy-esque typefont or style?
March 22, 2011 at 12:10 am
Comic Sans?
March 21, 2011 at 11:55 pm
Oh that’s great, give us links to confusing litigation lawyer talk shit instead of an actual: do this is the future.
dicks. I’m done with etsy it’s officially official
March 22, 2011 at 1:03 am
Although, truthfully, the process to report copyright infringement isn’t much more complicated.
Send an email to legal@etsy.com and include what type of infringement you think it is, from the list at http://www.etsy.com/copyright_policy.php
March 22, 2011 at 3:36 am
http://www.davidandgoliathtees.com/catalogsearch/result/?attitude=307&q=all&send=
To be honest both images of the t-shirt do actually look very similar to the t-shirts supplied by david and goliath!
March 22, 2011 at 10:24 am
To emma.perason @ #135:
http://www.miketyndall.com/todd_goldman/
March 22, 2011 at 6:36 am
i know that nobody actually reads this far unless it’s a really slow work day. Just my 2 cents that etsy must not have a function to remove a user, or know how to access myPHP to pop a user out of their database. Do they ever actually close a store?
March 22, 2011 at 11:23 am
Well, why the fuck should Etsy care? A stolen item that sells still makes THEM money, so really the rest of us could get away with breaking into houses and posting stolen shit, and even the cops would be told that it’s against Etsy’s policy to crack down on the thieves.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go find my balaclava and crowbar.
March 22, 2011 at 1:19 pm
Well, as a seller on Etsy, I’m disgusted. This is downright shameful and cowardly of them.
This is just another amongst many reasons I’ve completely withdrawn from their ‘community’ and use it solely as a place to throw my shit up on the internet to sell.
Etsy’s turned into a farce over the past 2 years or so.
March 22, 2011 at 3:54 pm
Oh for fuck’s sake, Etsy.
She was FLAGGED because she VIOLATED your fucking terms of use!
And because she’s an ass.
March 22, 2011 at 5:19 pm
I’m really disappointed in Etsy. I have been promoting the shit out of them for embodying what I consider to be a new business ethic, which is making a living by helping others make a living. To have had my own snitty emails from their staff in regards to flagging non-vintage resellers, well that was a disappointment, but to hear how this plagiarism/copyright situation was handled, that is just disgraceful. It absolutely robs Etsy of its small vendor friendly credibility.
If someone were to start a petition, I would be the first to sign and circulate it. I think that we are the ones who need to keep these businesses honest before they get too big to care about bad PR. They have blossomed out of our support! They have a responsibility to uphold the very values they are built upon!
March 22, 2011 at 6:24 pm
It specifically says at ETSY’s site to go over intellectually property at “http://www.etsy.com/storque/seller-handbook/etsys-copyright-policy-859/” to flag items that may violate the intellectual property agreement should be flagged… What is up with them reversing the policy all of the sudden?
March 22, 2011 at 6:25 pm
*intellectual not intellectually sorry
March 22, 2011 at 9:00 pm
that etsy admin girl is too busy making these
March 23, 2011 at 9:54 am
*sighs*
I really wish that the Etsy staff didn’t act like a bunch of fucking morons when hundreds of people flag the same thing.
Petulant hipster fucktards.
Pfft
March 23, 2011 at 11:42 am
AND, Etsy doesn’t seem to really care about enforcing their policy on labelling mature content. So, despite setting my Etsy account to black mature items, I’ve had several incidents where my son is sitting next to me as I update my shop and make treasuries only to see Half naked women (top and bottom) on the front page of the treasury page. I’ve reported item and asked nicely that they have this shop (one in particular has LOTS of unlabeled pix) label their items.
Etsy is still drinking the tea and has yet to respond.
UGH.
March 27, 2011 at 10:39 am
A few years ago when I first started an Etsy account I had the word “bullshit” on my profile and a day later I received an email from them threatening to kick me off Etsy if I didn’t remove the “racist or offensive” language from my profile:(
It’s good to know they take naughty language seriously and not highly illegal copyright infringement.