How to report a copycat on Etsy

Finding your own photo on someone else’s listing is a gut punch. The good news: Etsy has a dedicated process for it, and it works best when your report is precise. This guide walks through exactly what to do, in order, so the first report you file is the one that gets the listing taken down.

First, make sure it’s something Etsy can act on

Etsy acts on reports of intellectual property infringement: copyright, trademark and patent. For most handmade sellers, the relevant right is copyright, and the strongest cases are the simplest ones:

• Your photos used on another shop’s listing, cropped, recoloured or not.
• Your original artwork, pattern or design reproduced on their product.
• Your written descriptions copied word for word.

What copyright does not cover matters just as much. US law protects the specific expression, not the idea, style, technique or method behind it (17 U.S.C. § 102(b)). Another shop making “botanical mugs” or “minimalist line-art prints” is competition, not infringement. Reports based on a similar vibe are the ones most likely to go nowhere, and filing a notice you know is false can expose you to liability for damages, which Etsy’s own DMCA requirements spell out.

Gather this before you open the portal

The portal itself takes ten minutes. Preparing well is what decides the outcome. Have these ready:

1. Every infringing listing URL. Etsy reviews listings, not shops. A report that names a shop instead of listing URLs is a common reason for rejection (Etsy Help). A listing URL looks like etsy.com/listing/1234567890.
2. A link to your original work. Usually your own listing URL, or a portfolio or Instagram post that shows the work. The form asks for examples of your work, not the infringer’s.
3. Proof you made it first. Original camera files with metadata, layered design files, sketches or dated posts. You may not be asked for these, but you’ll want them if the seller disputes the report.
4. Your contact details. Full name, physical address, phone number and email. Etsy may share the report, including your name and email, with the seller (Etsy IP Policy).

Copycats rarely stop at one listing. Before you file, search for all the copies so you can report them together. You can paste your listing into our free copycat check to find listings on Etsy using look-alike photos, or follow our guide on how to find who stole your Etsy photos.

Step-by-step: filing the report in the Etsy Reporting Portal

Etsy now asks rights owners to report listings through the Etsy Reporting Portal. The steps below follow Etsy’s own help article.

1. Register for the portal

1. Go to the Reporting Portal and sign in. If you’re a seller reporting your own work, Etsy recommends signing in with your shop’s account.
2. Choose who owns the rights. If you’re reporting for an employer or client, you’ll be asked for a letter of authorization later.
3. Add your details and continue.

2. Add your intellectual property

1. Open the Intellectual Properties tab and choose Get started (or Add a property).
2. Choose the property type. For photos, artwork and designs, that’s copyright.
3. Add the owner, a URL showing the work in use (your listing works well), and a clear name for the work, like “Product photos for Hand-painted Botanical Mug”.

3. Create the report

1. Open the Reports tab and choose Create a report.
2. Select the owner and the property this report covers.
3. Choose Create & add listings, then search Etsy or use Upload multiple listings to paste listing IDs or URLs in bulk.
4. Choose Review & submit, check everything, and submit.

You’ll get an email confirmation, and later an email with the outcome. When Etsy removes a listing, it tries to tell the affected seller and, for copyright reports, explains how they can file a counter notice (Etsy IP Policy).

What to write so the reviewer gets it in seconds

Reviewers handle many reports. Make yours effortless to verify:

• Be specific: “Listing 1234567890 uses my product photo from listing 9876543210 (main image, cropped and mirrored).”
• One property per original. If they copied photos from three of your listings, add each original separately so it’s clear which copy matches which.
• Stick to facts. Skip accusations about their character or other shops. Describe what was copied and where it appears.

Want wording you can adapt? Our Etsy photo theft DMCA template includes the portal description text and a full DMCA notice.

Should you message the seller first?

Etsy’s help article suggests contacting the seller to try to resolve the issue before reporting. It’s optional, and it’s your call. A short, factual message sometimes gets a photo swapped within a day. If the shop looks like a reseller farm with dozens of copied listings, many sellers skip straight to the portal. Keep any messages polite and factual, because they may be read later.

What happens after you report

• Removed: the listing comes down, and the seller is told why.
• More information requested: Etsy may ask for documentation, identity verification or a letter of authorization.
• Rejected: usually for missing details or the wrong IP type. See what to do when an Etsy report is rejected.
• Counter notice: the seller can dispute a copyright takedown. If you don’t tell Etsy you’ve filed a court action within 10 business days, the listing may come back. Read what a DMCA counter notice means so you’re prepared either way.

Common mistakes that slow things down

• Reporting before you’ve found every copy. Each extra report means another wait. Batch them.
• Using the shop’s storefront link. Paste the listing link from the address bar on the listing page itself.
• Choosing trademark for a photo. Unless you’re reporting use of a registered brand name or logo, copied photos and artwork are copyright.
• Reporting supplier or stock photos you don’t own. If you and the other shop both bought the item from the same supplier and use the supplier’s photos, neither of you owns that copyright.
• Relying on memory for dates. Note the date you first published your listing. Your Etsy listing history and original files help you prove it.

How long does it take?

Etsy doesn’t publish a guaranteed review time, and outcomes vary with how complete the report is and whether Etsy needs more information. Its policy says Etsy strives to respond quickly to reports that comply with its rules. Complete, well-organized reports are the ones that move fastest, so the preparation above is time well spent.

Stop playing whack-a-mole

Copied listings often reappear under new shop names. Keeping dated originals and checking regularly makes every future report faster. CopyCatch can do the checking for you: it watches your listings, flags look-alike photos on Etsy and keeps the evidence ready. Try the free check on one listing first, or monitor 7 listings free.