š” LESSON FOR MY CREATORS: READ THIS BEFORE YOU SELL THAT āSTITCHā OR āTOY STORYā DESIGN
Friendly PSA, especially for my Etsy sellers šš½ Just because you see a thousand people selling Lilo & Stitch, Toy Story, SpongeBob, Barbie, etc⦠does NOT mean itās allowed. I learned the hard way, so let me help you before your shop gets hit. Hereās the truth: ⨠Disney, Nickelodeon, Pixar, Universal ā all of them own those characters. You canāt sell their characters, names, or logos without a license. ⨠Buying a PNG, SVG, or ācommercial use fileā doesnāt magically give you rights. If the creator didnāt have a license, YOU still get the strike. ⨠Etsy doesnāt care who you bought it from. If the copyright owner files a complaint, Etsy removes the listing and your shop gets a violation. ⨠Too many violations = permanent suspension. And once that happens⦠it's almost impossible to get back in. ⨠Using character names in your titles or tags can get you flagged. (Even if your art ākind of looks like them.ā) ⨠If you want to do character designs legally, you NEED an official licenseā¦and those usually cost thousands and require high sales volumes. š„ Moral of the story: If you want a long-term business, donāt build it on someone elseās IP. Create original designs. Use public domain characters. Build your own style & brand. Your business will last longer, and youāll never have to worry about waking up to a suspension email. If you need help finding safe niches or coming up with original ideas, just ask ā I got you. š