How to stop copycats from stealing my designs and photos

“Every design, even the poor selling ones. Every photo I posted to my shop or social media. When I started adding videos to my listings they stole those too.”source ↗

“I tried my best to file takedowns for IP infringement. I did hundreds of takedowns. It was too much to keep up with.”source ↗

“Then Etsy started shutting down some of my listings because of stolen photos they saw on other platforms.”source ↗

“An Etsy seller is selling a blatant ripoff of my designs.”source ↗

“I have tried submitting an infringement report to Etsy, but when I do it requires a video from the shop...”source ↗

“I have tried Etsy "help", which has been no help at all, and had 3 agents close the chat on me without giving any solution or help.”source ↗

“I had about 10 bestsellers at one point and was making thousands per week. But now I make $100 a week because every single design I’ve made has been stolen hundreds of times.”source ↗

“Same happened to me last year but on top Etsy kept taking down my listings as the copycats kept reporting mine for not being handmade.”source ↗

“i created a product [...] and it went viral on tiktok. [...] since it going viral, i've seen it copied exactly in numerous places”source ↗

“today i learn that another shop who sells a variation of my item made the finalist category.”source ↗

“If I create a drawing with a certain phrase and someone runs it through AI to spit out a slightly different style, is it still infringement?”source ↗

“Just curious at what point someone might lose the ability to send takedown notices.”source ↗

“Another Etsy seller reported one of our listings, claiming the design belongs to them.”source ↗

“Honestly, this experience has completely taken the fun out of Etsy for me. I’ve decided to close my shop and I don’t plan on doing Etsy again.”source ↗

“Yea I’d be pissed. I’m in a similar boat. I created a viral product in 2024 and it’s even been copied in china.”source ↗

“I recently came across a seller that strictly sells downloads of full series of tv shows, the seller has 5 buys and no reviews yet. I haven’t purchased as I assume it’s a scam but just wanted to see if this is even a thing on Etsy? It seems illegal.”source ↗

“Long term client whom always accepted my quotes used my highly detailed proposal to Chatgpt DIY a project.”source ↗

“Clients are letting Claude create an entire set up. Fonts, colors, text.. desired functionalites.”source ↗

“Client tells me that have someone on staff and I am no longer needed. Then weeks later that someone else on staff contacts me because they don't know how to deploy a shit ton of spaghetti code that Claude spit out.”source ↗

“About 45 minutes into the call, I am told that "Claude actually already made something".”source ↗

“After recently restocking months later and restarting Facebook ads, I began seeing comments on my new ads calling the product a “scam” or saying it was missing its core feature.”source ↗

“Customers who unknowingly bought these counterfeits now believe they purchased from me and started spamming all my ads that it was a scam.”source ↗

“Right now, I can’t run Meta ads without a ton of “scam” comments, and it’s directly hurting performance and ROI.”source ↗

“How can I do this correctly? Do I have to hire a ugc creator or an agency?”source ↗

“I wouldn't know how to make the script get a good enough camera to record it etc.”source ↗

“My distributor tried to trademark my trademark in a different country. I paid an attorney to oppose it, and I'm asking my distributor to reimburse me. He's getting mad at the suggestion.”source ↗

“I have trademarked some games, and I am based in the US. I have a distributor in an overseas country, and he's been my reseller for several years.”source ↗

“It turned out he applied for the trademark about 5 months ago, and knowing that trademarks can get suddenly approved, I figured I needed to fight it immediately.”source ↗

“Every design book, inspiration board, piece of signage, menus, set up guide binder, etc was done and/or sourced by me.”source ↗

“All the details like the unique place cards, the custom touches, the additional faux floral displays that I built, she is posting pictures of herself next to them acting like her team created them.”source ↗

“I designed it so that it came as one piece to the venue and literally spent 6 hours building it. She posted a picture with her hands in the flowers acting as though she was “setting it up”, when setting it up was literally just carrying it out of the storage room at the venue and putting it outside the door.”source ↗

“she's basically using your work as portfolio content without permission. you designed and built that stuff, it's your creative property even if it was for your own wedding”source ↗

“another "non-profit leader" keeps taking the ideas I am sharing that my group is doing and using her connections to do them first and make it seem like her idea without including me.”source ↗

“It has me annoyed as I am worried that her actions will cause my group to fall apart, and make all my efforts for nothing.”source ↗

“Whats worse is I cant not share my ideas, as I have to actively market and make known what I am doing as I am not as well connected as her.”source ↗