A large number of Etsy sellers missed the peak season due to malicious complaints! The platform's connivance is the root cause

According to foreign media reports, during this peak season, a large number of sellers on Etsy reported that they were maliciously complained of copyright infringement, and their products were removed from the shelves. The Etsy platform was also accused of being too relaxed in reviewing complaints, allowing anyone to file a complaint. As a result, many sellers missed the peak sales season.

Elyza Davis, a seller on Etsy, reportedly posted a post on TikTok that was maliciously complained about copyright infringement, which received 43,000 likes. She said that her witchcraft-themed holiday decorations were complained about for infringement by a seller who sold "fairy ball" decorations, and there was no identical or similar parts between the two.

Etsy removed Davis's decorations from sale on November 9 and did not allow them to be listed again until November 24. Etsy said that not only was she wrongly accused, but it also gave her products less time to sell before the Christmas shipping deadline.

Complaints about mismanagement abound: One seller who was selling an owl keychain had it removed from Etsy after someone complained that it infringed on Harry Potter copyright.

But the seller said that apart from the resemblance to an owl, the product did not mention Harry Potter at all. It is reported that the complaining party is a fake account pretending to be a representative of Warner Media, the publisher of "Harry Potter". There is no phone call and no response to messages.

Mona Weiss, another Etsy seller who received a takedown notice shortly before Black Friday, said the decorative animal skulls she was selling were cited for infringement despite the fact that at least a dozen other sellers were offering similar items on Etsy.

Sellers say Etsy's judgment of complaints is extremely one-sided, and their attempts to get help from Etsy are in vain. Anyone can file an allegation.

In 2020, "infringement complaints" against sellers of homemade toys, clothing and furniture jumped 60% to more than 54,000, according to Etsy's website, while the number of product removal notices, which are often a means for competitors to take down sellers, surged around Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Etsy appears to strictly comply with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, but this can result in a seller having their sales shut down over a single unsubstantiated complaint, with the platform tending to take the word of the person who filed the infringement complaint.

Industry insiders say sites like Etsy rarely review complaints, but they are quick to remove listings that have been complained about.

Filing a copyright infringement claim on Etsy requires no proof other than a signature proving the authenticity of the claim. The seller being complained about can file a counterclaim, and if the other seller does not respond to the lawsuit within 10 days, the items can be reinstated.

It’s not just Etsy. On Amazon, malicious complaints of copyright infringement are commonplace, sometimes even from fake email accounts. One seller on Amazon lost more than $1 million in sales due to fake copyright complaints, and another seller was hit 14 times with such complaints.

Industry insiders point out that these complaints are usually made by competitors, and the platforms are more afraid of being accused of not protecting trademark rights.

Editor ✎ Xiao Zhu/

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