How Green Light Saved My

+120k Etsy Store From A Legal Shutdown

Customer: Jennifer K.

Industry: Handcraft Vintage Signage

Buyer Persona: E-Commerce Owner

How Green Light Saved My +120k Etsy Store From A Legal Shutdown

Introduction

In this case, we’ll cover how Jennifer K. an Etsy store owner dedicated to selling handcrafted vintage signs replicas saved her store from being permanently shut down from Etsy, a situation that would have caused her to lose her entire financial support due to legal compliance failures. Green Light was able to connect her to a seasoned legal consultant who specialized in Intellectual Property as well as Etsy store’s regulatory matters. Thanks to taking the proper early and preventive action, they were able to prevent a DMCA takedown that was being drafted. This takedown would have caused the immediate termination of Jennifer’s store irreversibly.

The Story Of Handcrafted Vintage Signage

Handcrafted Vintage Signage (HVS) is how we’ll refer to Jennifer’s ETSY store, due to confidentiality reasons. HVS was created back in 2015 after Jennifer decided to move her craft into ETSY, but since 2010 she specialized in creating carefully crafted iconic signage replicas, mostly based on wooden mediums. From cosmopolitan cities street signs up to worldwide renowned subway system station signs. Even though the possibilities were endless, there was a particular niche that rapidly caught fire. The subway stations niche. Since then, this sub-niche alone had made Jennifer $415,000 in over 5 years, just on ETSY.

The Challenge

The main issue appeared when Jennifer learned that subway signs (and street signs in some cases too) are protected under Intellectual Property. This created massive confusion since she (as thousands of sellers) assumed that it was public property, up for grab, and be utilized as artistic means for anyone interested. After conducting mild research, she found that this particular Subway Institution took Intellectual Property misusage extremely seriously, having taken multiple rogue artists to the legal arena with very successful outcomes. Now the challenge was to protect not only her ETSY store but her persona as well. That’s when she quickly decided to resort to Green Light.

The Solution

On Green Light, Jennifer was quickly in touch with an Intellectual Property specialized attorney, who also happens to have vast expertise on ETSY regulations. The attorney properly advised Jennifer and together they set up a swift action plan to prevent damages and keep her business safe. First, they reached out to the IP department of this renowned subway institution. They explained their case and negotiated an authorization for her store and related products. The institution recognized that they were aware of her store, and had asked their legal counsel to draft a DMCA takedown that was headed straight to ETSY, which would have caused the end of the store.

The Results

Thanks for taking proper and duly action through the proper channels:

  • The DMCA takedown was stopped.
  • The authorization allowed Jennifer to legally continue her craft.
  • The authorization was forwarded to ETSY’s legal department, giving Jennifer extra protection.
  • Most importantly, the store never was taken out of business, not even for a single day.

“To be honest, if the store would have been shut down my entire life would have been ruined. After this amazing experience, I run occasional compliance checks with Green Light’s professionals a couple of times a year. And I encourage everyone to do the same!” - Jennifer K.

If you are running an online business or e-commerce, whether it is on your own or well-known marketplaces, chances are that you may be bridging any internal or local regulation.

Green Light helps you prevent your business from taking the fall!