Anyone have a problem with other Etsy users?

[weesewcute]

I was wondering if anyone else has gone through this. I don't really do much on Etsy but I posted some Team Jocob and Team Edward shirts that we had designed on Etsy. I did not use their graphics or pictures or anything related to the movie. 2 days later my Team Edward stuff is pulled but not my Team Jacob stuff. I contacted the legal department of Summit and sent the copy of my shirt to see what their objection was. They told me they did not know me at all but told me that they had a pending trademark on the words Team Edward. Ok. No big deal, I won't sell them if that is the case.

I log onto Etsy and I see a ton of other products with the term Team Edward on it. I contact some of the other shirt makers who have been there longer and they informed me they have never been told this and their products are still for sale. I contact Etsy and they are acting as if many people that used this term were pulled. If this is the case and Summit did a sweep then why are all these products still on the site? I log on this morning and there are 5 new shirts that say this and 200 on Ebay.

Ok so I am calling BS on this and saying it is another user that reported me. Why does Etsy's policy only extend to me and not to anyone else then? I can't believe people would spend there time actually doing this. Sort of sad.Wondering if anyone else has delt with this and how did you deal with it.

[mfurn]

I met a woman at a craft show earlier this year that had a run-in with Summit. She was selling several different items all relating to Twilight. She was contacted by Summit with a cease and decist. She was also told to send them any product that she had with specific photos, images, logos, etc. She had made purses, bags, shirts, pendents, etc. But she also made jewelery that had nothing to do with Twilight, except that in her description, she described it is "in the style of Twilight". Etsy pulled all of her items down. She was able to relist the jewelery, but was given specific direction as to what could or could not be used in the description of her stuff. She was also told that they would be pursuing a claim against her company for the income generated by the sales of Twilight merchandise. I don't know the outcome because I have not seen her at any shows since, but it is something I don't want to get mixed up in.

I know it must be frustrating to feel like you are being picked on. But quinn is right, Etsy will ony pull down what they are asked to. And who knows how Summit decides what to pull off or report to Etsy. Maybe they pick random people everday, who knows. I think it is a chance you take for making and selling things that you may not have the proper copyright to.

[pinklady]

How can summit actually get a copyright for the words Team Edward. I can understand Twilight ect... but these are just common names.

[weesewcute]

Originally Posted by quinnponders

Etsy does not get involved in copyright unless the copyright holder contacts them directly and asks for specific items to be removed. So if the copyright holder says, item A-K needs to be removed that is all etsy will remove even if they see item L-Z. That said, breaking copyright and using the argument that other people do it, is ridiculous. Just because you were caught and they weren't doesn't make any of you right or a victim.

It is not a copyright issue. If I broke a trademark agreement I have no issue not selling the shirt. I was told by Etsy that this group contacted them and that I was one of many removed from the site for using this term. When I contacted the other sellers none of their items were removed, just mine. When I contacted the lawyers for this group they told me that they had no idea who I was. Hum ok? Just 1 hour ago someone with a new profile that just added today is selling our shirts. No profile or town listed. Interesting.

[weesewcute]

Originally Posted by mfurn

I met a woman at a craft show earlier this year that had a run-in with Summit. She was selling several different items all relating to Twilight. She was contacted by Summit with a cease and decist. She was also told to send them any product that she had with specific photos, images, logos, etc. She had made purses, bags, shirts, pendents, etc. But she also made jewelery that had nothing to do with Twilight, except that in her description, she described it is "in the style of Twilight". Etsy pulled all of her items down. She was able to relist the jewelery, but was given specific direction as to what could or could not be used in the description of her stuff. She was also told that they would be pursuing a claim against her company for the income generated by the sales of Twilight merchandise. I don't know the outcome because I have not seen her at any shows since, but it is something I don't want to get mixed up in.

I know it must be frustrating to feel like you are being picked on. But quinn is right, Etsy will ony pull down what they are asked to. And who knows how Summit decides what to pull off or report to Etsy. Maybe they pick random people everday, who knows. I think it is a chance you take for making and selling things that you may not have the proper copyright to.

Good to know. Yeah I have no intention of relisting the shirts. The funny thing is that all the Team Jacob shirts they don't care about. That and I see many people just taking their designs and selling them with the Twilight images. The have a pending trademark on the term Team Jacob. The can't copyright the name. Since I have been pulled there have been 14 new Team Edward shirts listed. I just find Etsy somewhat laughable when they say they are Switzerland when Summit told them that Team Edward is trademarked and they still let it on the site unless someone flags it.

[weesewcute]

Originally Posted by pinklady

How can summit actually get a copyright for the words Team Edward. I can understand Twilight ect... but these are just common names.

They can't it is a pending trademark. I think it reaching since they did not create that term the fan sites did. What I don't get is why not trademark Team Jacob then. I wonder if someone else owns it.

[theribbongirl]

I have an Etsy shop and it frustrates me that there is so much copyrighted/trademarked stuff sold on there. It stinks that yours got pulled and not others. I can imagine it is hard for the Etsy Admin to keep on top of this stuff.

[tinyt19784]

I HAD SOME TWILIGHT IMAGES UP AND THEY TOOK THEM OFF BUT I HAVE SEE OTHERS LIST AS "TWILIGHT INSPIRED" THEY REALLY SUCK

[weesewcute]

Originally Posted by tinyt19784

I HAD SOME TWILIGHT IMAGES UP AND THEY TOOK THEM OFF BUT I HAVE SEE OTHERS LIST AS "TWILIGHT INSPIRED" THEY REALLY SUCK

I can see why they did that because it is a copyrighted image. This was not. It was words. What they have is a very loose tradmark over what they think they have rights to. But fine I don't want to mess with it.

I am totally pissed at Etsy right now. After contacting Summit I let them know of the 24 other shirts (including the one like mine) that are on the same site. It is of my opinion that they could care less and they never really cared. I emailed a guy selling them that had the listing for a month now and he told me he never ever heard a thing from anyone about selling them. So this guy has been making money from it. I never sold 1 shirt and they want to shut me down? Sounds weird to me.

I emailed Etsy abuse in response to my shirt. I let them know the trade mark number and shared the shirts that are still listed. Etsy refuses to remove the shirts although they are telling me that they are aware I am in violation of a trademark. So huh if you are aware of the trademark you are not doing anything about the others? So now Etsy has been put on notice by 2 parties that they are in violation and they are still trying to act like they don't care and will not remove the items. So Etsy is making money from these shirts and if they go away then poof no more money. It is obvious Etsy is trying to make a (show sweep) of only a few of the products thus violating their own copyrighting and free trade policy. Wow that is pretty clever of you.

I am thinking of relisting the shirt today to see if they pull it. I am truly curious to see what happens.

[weesewcute]

Oh and I forgot to mention that Zazzel is being sued by Summit right now claiming that they allowed others to download, make shirts and products with the Twilight images. So why not go after Etsy who is letting people sell the shirts and products they make?