etsy is the worst - but people are too

OPEN ME FOR LINKS and more info
support palefoxcrafts here:
palefoxcrafts....
I totally understand that copyright is a huge thing. I'm not here to tackle that issue. I completely understand that Etsy is not all seeing or all knowing, however I feel like they make no effort to try and understand and fix the issue when it is brought forth. Maybe with this new reporting portal it will be better. I don't know. I'm not entirely putting the blame on Etsy. People who steal and try and trick Etsy shoppers are the actual worst, but I feel that Etsy should try and shut down these shops when issues are brought forth.
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The yarn I almost exclusively use is from Paintbox which you can get through Love Crafts, click here for my affiliate link (I will receive a percentage of the sale if you click this link and purchase something within 30 days):
www.lovecrafts...
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Join the Discord: / discord
Craft with me on Twitch: / falsebubbles
Etsy: www.etsy.com/sh...
Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/fals...
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Ribblr: ribblr.com/sho...
Free Patterns: www.ravelry.co...
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[@Dariosie]

I feel like I've ONLY heard bad things about Etsy in the last decade. It sucks that they have such a grasp on the small business world. Thanks for making this video!

[@FalseBubbles]

Its definitely changed a lot... I only started there in 2019, and I have even seen change since then. But you're completely right, they have such a hold on the handmade products market. If you ask people where they can get handmade items online, they usually say Etsy... maybe it will change...

[@palefoxcrafts]

Thank you so much for making this video ❤️ In case someone needs help ASAP, here are some timestamps: 0:00 - What lead to making this video 7:18 - How to report when you're not the designer (just a kind soul) 8:59 - How to report on Etsy's report portal when you are the designer 13:19 - A more in depth look of how ridiculous Etsy thieves can be on the platform, graciously sponsored by me xD 16:02 - 6 steps on what you can do when your pattern gets stolen on Etsy 25:02 - Make sure you're buying from the actual artist ❤️

[@FalseBubbles]

Thank you so much for this! I always forget about timestamps! I hope you keep creating beautiful designs! 🥰🥰🥰

[@victoriabingham3663]

This is one reason I haven't started my Etsy shop bc I'm scared of others using my pictures or something of the sort

[@FalseBubbles]

its definitely tough. I wouldn't be completely scared of it, but just inform yourself! It isn't the end of the world, but it sure feels like it when you're in the thick of it. The crafting community is VERY protective of their own and will go to bat for you. I definitely want people to continue to start their own shops! I find that most of my stuff is stolen from around the internet rather than from Etsy! They scrub the rest of the internet to find stuff and try and put it on Etsy. You got this and I believe in you!

[@Fragsu]

Oh no, now I'm scared to check if I bought any patterns from a scammer 😪 Etsy should be harsher against those scammers ... :< damn

[@FalseBubbles]

Its okay if you did! Its sometimes hard to spot! I think the best thing to do is start checking for the future! Now you know and can do something about it! 🥰

[@fujierobesky5651]

Thank you for the alert. I can't believe how those people can steal designs and sell them as their own product. I have only purchased one item from etsy which was a printable label. I felt guilty just printing them and using them to describe the item I crocheted for kids so they knew what they were. I am donating them to a homeless shelter organization, Not selling them.

[@ethanr1000]

Etsy does nothing to protect people who create their own products. I closed my jewelry shop 7 years ago because the handmade glass beads (which I made in my glass studio) and my sterling silver jewelry could not compete with the cheap mass produced jewelry. There were literally thousands of mass produced beads and mass produced necklaces which were exact copies across a hundred store fronts. Many of us reported them. Etsy did not do anything about it. I feel for anyone who creates their own patterns. This is a huge disservice to the creative community Etsy claims to promote.

[@FalseBubbles]

I can't believe it is happening with such niche groups everywhere! Even beads! I'm sure your beads were wonderful...

[@elizabethsloan3192]

Watermark all your pictures somewhere over the character, and add random credit lines in the pattern itself so it’s easier to identify as yours.

[@FalseBubbles]

Definitely helps, but a lot of scammers will just post them anyways! 😔

[@MadeByChinkee]

Some people just don’t have shame. I encountered before someone who used a well-known scrunchie maker’s photo. Yes, the label on the product was also showing. 💁💁💁

[@bonniem3567]

Watermarking though, may help someone who is shopping for patterns see it and maybe think hmm… Do they actually own this pattern because that name doesn’t match the account.

[@pottymouthedplanter]

@@bonniem3567yes! It stopped me before!!!

[@pottymouthedplanter]

Great ideas. This is actually what made me realize a pattern was stolen once as I saw the names didn’t match lol

[@ZenJoJo369]

I've bought quite a lot of patterns from shops on the Etsy marketplace. I have come across the same patterns in different shops before and I have done my best to contact the shop owner to let them know about the stolen patterns. It takes a bit research sometimes but it's worth it. It really sucks that this is happening at all.

[@FalseBubbles]

Thank you SO much for taking the time to do this. Its really meaningful to the creator!!!

[@DanielleCamp-jb6sz]

Crud, this makes me not want to buy patterns on Etsy anymore. I’ll have to sort out a new place. I am so grateful to people like you who are so talented and share free patterns with beginners like me. My kids have are 9,12, and 15. They ADORE all these cute creations and constantly are begging me for new ones. Thank you for all you do!

[@FalseBubbles]

@@DanielleCamp-jb6sz definitely still support creators on Etsy you just may want to do a quick check to make sure the pattern belongs to that person! Thanks so much for all the support and for passing along the craft to your kids!

[@idacardenas7884]

This is sooooo upsetting n it’s the reason I went to Ribblr, in hopes that this is a safer platform for our patterns. I’m in several crochet groups in messenger and I have reported them to admins, cuz I recognized some picture which are watermarked, but scammers don’t care, and I also notify the real seller as well. It’s true, we all need to help each other out, and bring these scammers down. Thank you so much for this very informative video, great job. So sorry this had to happen to you, but you are very persistent and you don’t give up or give in, I’m inspired by you ❤

[@bonniem3567]

I know this is old but, I thank you for your free patterns and your videos. Currently working on the frog right now, but I was also happy to see I could buy the pattern from you also. :O plan to grab it later to support. =] thanks for all you do!

[@nancythomas1954]

Oh honey I am so sorry! Thank you for bringing this to our attention!

[@artymaze]

So sorry this is happening to you too. I’ve had it with my digitals and many others in the JJ community, we’ve even set up FB group so we can help each out. So many of mine & others free designs are being sold on Etsy it’s quite heartbreaking. Aliexpress also plays a part in mass producing my designs then 3rd party sellers re-selling on other selling platforms, it’s a nightmare to keep up with it and I really do feel for you. Xx

[@michugurumi]

Besides putting the etsy stores on hiatus they should put a single star and a bad review on google store. That's the only way the devs will see the nonconformity.

[@tawniewallette4264]

That makes me so sad because I want to make her patterns so bad but they are only available from thieves now Dx that pumpkaboo is adorable.

[@kimtimtaylor9045]

This is infuriating and I'm so incredibly sorry this is happening, especially knowing how hard y'all work because making patterns is not easy! Shame on Etsy for not doing more to address this. I will be making sure to buy things from creators on their other shops/websites from now on. I hope y'all start getting justice ❤

[@stephfoxeh]

the last time i sold something on etsy, they took more than half my profits for their advertising that i didnt signup to pay for. so bizarre

[@FalseBubbles]

Yeah that sounds about right. Crazy!

[@sambeawesome]

My suggestion: Contact customer service directly, either via their social media DMs or official email channels, and request they make changes to their support system that actually works for creators who get their works stolen. Be loud but respectful. Say you will take your business elsewhere. (This goes for buyers and sellers!) Be public, be vocal, be repetative. The more people that speak up about this, the more pressure they will feel as a business to make changes. Every little bit makes a difference and adds up. (I've seen businesses make changes before due to social pressures, so it works, it just needs numbers!)

[@Weatheredstorms1]

I have a friend also who lost her baby because the caregiver allowed the baby to sleep with a teething necklace. Baby died in their sleep because the necklace became tight around their neck. Mom instructed caregiver not to allow baby to sleep with it. This was before it was found that these are not safe. My friend had to fight Etsy to get them to take it down.

[@MichelleFleischer-f2g]

It is sad. I even see this in digital pattern books on Amazon. I tried reporting some but no luck too.

[@Brandonrouthsniece94]

😢😢😢😢 it’s all good, they’ll get what’s coming to them. Someone gonna come around and steal what they have, what goes around comes around.

[@FalseBubbles]

I hope karma gets them...

[@Brandonrouthsniece94]

@@FalseBubbles achoo 🤧 🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧 stuff like this has me be sick 😆😭

[@ShroomyCrochet]

I think this hardened my decision to only sell plushies at craft shows and through my email...thanks for the tip and I feel so bad this happened to you!😭

[@GlasUndMetall]

I'm retired now but was an Etsy seller for years from when they were first around. Like many businesses, in the beginning it was fantastic. Then go through an owner or two, allow a bit of mass production, loosen the rules, and you end up with the S show that is the current Etsy. So sad, so much creativity exploited that artists, like myself, eventually just leave.

[@michugurumi]

Oh and Ravelry should improve their website. Is so old fashioned, like from 1999. That's why I'm still buying patterns on etsy 😢

[@cheshire9352]

I think messaging the people who have reviewed it is a great idea. I would be livid if i found out that I not only paid for something that was intended to be free by the creator, but that I gave money to someone who is stealing from amazing creators who work really hard to create sich amazing patterns

[@laurielandon7589]

I have many crochet projects, crafts, jewelry and painting/drawings to start my Etsy shop with but I have been dragging my feet because I’m scared I will do something wrong in trying to list something and also afraid of someone stealing my pics for their page ect. I’ve tried to reach out to other Etsy shop owners to get someone who can help me and give me the ins and outs of opening a shop (I’ve been saving all my things for a few years) I have questions but can never find a person that can help me. I happened upon ur page just now and then this video and I thought maybe u can help me know what to do ect. If u can lend an ear and helping hand 😊 I would greatly appreciate it, and if u can’t I understand. I can exchange my email with you if u can help. Thanks so much and keep up the great videos. Thx so much, Laurie

[@gabidagabida]

Hey quick question! How do you feel about sellers actually making the pattern and selling? I am not sure but I came across a hollow knight plush that I think came from your pattern but I can’t be sure. Thoughts?

[@FalseBubbles]

Oops sorry I missed this! this was a while ago! I don't own anything from Hollow Knight so I can't really say if people can or can't make money off of the plushie made from the pattern (because the intellectual property is owned by Team Cherry), if people are reposting the pattern, I will not allow that because they are my pictures and writing. However if they are selling the plushies they are taking on that risk themselves because team cherry owns the rights to the likeness of the character. Hence why all my stuff is free!

[@gabidagabida]

@@FalseBubbles I see! And no worries I wasn’t expecting a reply honestly 💀 but I very much appreciate it! Thanks for your thoughts on my question! ☺️

[@MaryMirrah]

WOW! I had no idea this was happening. Thank you for enlightening me. I will keep an eye out for this. I'm very sorry this is happening but not surprising.

[@ShannonsShack]

I can not believe that ppl are doing this to crocheting patterns. This is absolutely ridiculous. I am sorry this happened to you both.

[@MissNixable]

Looking at the thumbnail like " wait I *know* that pattern's free..." Really sucks that Etsy is allowing this. I noticed the site being flooded with "handmade" items that are just cheap dropshiped products but I had no clue it extended to stealing things like patterns

[@FalseBubbles]

The pattern is actually from @palefoxcrafts who recently took down her paid patterns to prevent this from happening so much to her patterns! Etsy is truly lawless now it seems. Feels icky.

[@DidyToys]

Recently I've come across a similar shop. Etsy showed a listing to me and it was MY pattern, MY photos, everything copied)) i reported the listing, it was removed, but that didn't affect the shop, it still got sales. And i don't believe other listings were checked by Etsy at all

[@FalseBubbles]

this is honestly such a punch to the gut! So glad you got it taken down!

[@Harkart59]

Etsy should have planned for this to happen and made their site a safe place to do business. Shame on them!!! If someone knew how to design a legit safe space for artists to sell from they would be a kazillionaire!!! Your channel is my absolute favorite of ALL crochet channels! ALWAYS CHECK WHEN BUYING ART OF ANY KIND THAT THE SELLER IS THE LEGIT ARTIST OF YOUR PURCHASE.

[@jaspergoesrawrr]

Thank you for all this information. Very helpful! Do you have any recs for alternate sites to sell general handmade things, not specific to crochet?

[@FalseBubbles]

Ribblr!

[@BartNoble]

These sellers are just following Etsy's business model: the least amount of work for the most money. They would never devote the resources it would take to stop this.

[@superyayapuffs6216]

Hello! I’ve seen you’re Etsy video. I am just wondering if I can use your patterns and sell them? Not your pictures. Just the plushies, if not that’s fine just wondering. (I sell in real life not online but maybe I’ll sell online one day!) also I will give you credit if I can! And please start posting again :))))) I love your tutorials!

[@sarahkeating9201]

Do you know how you can force someone to take down the listing if you notice they stole something from someone else?

[@FalseBubbles]

Unfortunately there isn't anything you can do unless you are the IP holder. Best thing to do is inform the owner!

[@trenchcoatlizards]

I know this is an old video but I wanted to tell you something you might find encouraging-you own the intellectual rights to your fanwork! You have the right to have your stolen patterns taken down because you do actually own them. You just don’t have the right to *profit* off of them, because they belong to an IP you don’t have the overall rights for. This is applicable for anyone who make fanworks-fanart and fanfiction included. Disney can’t steal an artist’s fanart of Cinderella and slap it on a copy of the movie to sell, and Rowling can’t lift Dramione fanfiction off ao3 and publish it to make money. It’s a complicated area of copyright but not so gray and lawless as the people who steal your patterns might think it is. When you report a store or a listing you *can* accuse them of stealing your intellectual property, because they *are.*

[@pata6423]

Thank you for this information🤧

[@FalseBubbles]

Of course! I feel like the more people know about it the better off we all are!

[@LilgingerJennie]

Well, if you place in the middle of the pattern a disclaimer: “if you purchased this pattern, this is a free pattern. You can visit this link …. (Where ever the pattern is at for free)… Contact the seller and tell them you want your money back and to contact Etsy themselves about it, plus they can state they will be contacting the Federal Business Bureau about ppl stealing free patterns and selling them on Etsy. And Etsy has been allowing this. Just a thought personally. It’s what I’d do if my patterns were free and stolen

[@TheEnchantedDuat]

Maybe Etsy is not harsh on scammers because they make a cut anyway and the more they can make of a sold item across different stores then the more money from them??? Repugnantly behavior from Etsy anyway

[@user-db6ny9ss5g]

Couldn't you copy right protect the pattern itself? Or the photo?

[@FalseBubbles]

Absolutely you could. But who will go after them with legal action! Legal representation will be out of your own pocket unfortunately

[@gayleneal9541]

Instagram does the same thing. Is there anything that can be done?

[@FalseBubbles]

honestly I'm not too sure about Instagram, that's a whole different beast!

[@denises9455]

People are the worst… happen to my son.

[@AlpacaEmpress]

This is why i use ribblr to get my patterns now.

[@FalseBubbles]

Thank you so much for supporting creators this way!

[@MichelleM18]

I see lots of free patterns being sold on etsy. People making profit off free patterns.

[@tamraplautz2611]

I am sorry This keeps happening on Etsy

[@FalseBubbles]

me too... thank you so much for watching!!

[@tamraplautz2611]

Have you tried Kofi ? I think that is how it is spelled. many of the people I know, who have left etsy, moved Their stuff There

[@VesuvioVistani]

33 videos, all caught up :)

[@annastoyanova1722]

Well, there is a saying "when you come to court you have to be with clean hands". Pokemon is not your property and you can't claim any right on it. You are not supposed to do patterns of it in the first place. If pokemon wants they can sue them. So for such complains I would go with them. Write them and send them links. Don't tell theese are your patterns just that someone uses their charecters. Their lawers know what to do.

[@alexaliss8233]

Fanart is free use, if you aren't selling the patterns it's not copyright infringement. That why the two pattern sellers mentioned in this video have their fanart patterns as free patterns (or they did, until they kept being stolen).

[@sophiependragon2467]

❤❤❤

[@dianakelley1339]

I have seen you in a while

[@reighnhkgdvk8881]

make it so annoyingly obvious its yours with watermarks covering every open space in pictures 😂

[@Aiza-p6v]

I’m firsttttt 🎉🎉

[@FalseBubbles]

literally so speedy

[@TrixyStars]

I personally haven't bought many if any patterns of Etsy. I'm sorry this is something you all have to deal with. Lets hope Etsy gets their sh*t together, things like this will just make it go down hill faster even. 💜🤍I can however highly recommend Ribblr, definitely the new place to be, more than worth checking out 🤍💜

[@FalseBubbles]

Definitely! I do mention them in the video as a better and more reliable spot! They have a lot of features that crafters and designers love! Thanks so much for watching! 🥰