Invitations incorrectly removed due to copyright, when I own the right to use them

[mblue]

This morning I just got a handful of emails saying that I violated copyright rules of Zazzle by using certain fonts and images.  The problem is, they are being removed without checking to see if I own the font or image.  I bought the license/right to use the fonts I uploaded, and created the version of the font word myself, in Adobe Illustrator.  For the images that were removed, I bought a license that allows me to use the images commercially.  It is frustrating because an entire collection has been wiped out and other invitations, that I don't know which ones, because of incorrect information that wasn't checked by me automatically.   The fonts and images are sold to be used.  Is there any way my invitations and stationery can be put back up online and the system changed, so if there is a complaint about copyright, we are contacted to see if we have the license to use the fonts or images?

[Scott]

HI mblue, sorry to hear that this happened to you. I would suggest replying back to one of the emails with the information that you've included here. Working directly with CMT will be the best way to resolve this situation.

[mblue]

Ok, I've emailed them.  I wasn't sure if a lot of people were having the same problem, or it was just me.

[mblue]

I also just noticed that there are a lot more invitations that have been deleted that I wasn't notified about through an email.  The only way I found out about it is by clicking on items that were recently sold.

[mblue]

(I also posted this below)

I am reviewing to see what has been deleted and found that after about 4 of my products were sold today and yesterday, they were deleted today.  I also have counted over 105 products that have been deleted and I only received an email about 7 items that were deleted.  I haven't gone through half of what I've made yet.

Also 3 of my best selling designs were deleted.  Only 2 use fonts that I bought.  One doesn't use any uploaded items other than the picture (that makes the customer put their own in place) that is available as free commercial use from a well known free commercial use site.  I didn't get an email about any of these.

This has all been done today.  I regularly look at a lot of different things I sold or created and they were all up yesterday.

This definitely feels very strange.

Is there a way that Zazzle's content management can be contacted before whoever is doing this starts deleting a lot of items again tomorrow?

[CreativeLeahG]

We have all had items deleted without notice due to the use of font Zazzle nolonger has on its platform. 

[mblue]

When Zazzle changed the fonts, they changed the ones I had over to a different font back in August.  There was only 1 font I used that was deleted, from what I saw. All of the items that were deleted were up on January 3rd, this year.

[chuamishael]

😱how will we know they will delete more fonts? you mean to say, any of these fonts has a chance to disappeared in the future? 

[mblue]

Hi, Is there a way you can contact them?  They have deleted more today or last night.  I've emailed and called, but more stuff is being deleted.

[Irsa]

Hi. @Scott 

I am really confused I just noticed that there are a lot more invitations that have been Removed that I wasn't notified about through an email

I have counted over 10 or more products that have been Removed and I only received an email about 2 items that were removed.  Its really frustrating because in My 3  collections there are lots of products has been wiped out and other invitations, that I don't know which ones, Also there are some products one of my best selling designs were deleted. 

Please do check what's the matter & kindly RESOLVED it

https://www.zazzle.com/collections/one_happy_babe_smile_face_pink_theme_party-119101602090960345?rf=... 

https://www.zazzle.com/collections/two_fast_pink_race_car_girl_2nd_birthday-119740077164871191?rf=23... https://www.zazzle.com/collections/one_happy_dude_boy_1st_birthday-119024298762353401?rf=23803964677... 

[Scott]

Please reply back to the email that you received from the team and ask for more specific information.

[whimsywhim]

This is why I continue to advocate strongly for Zazzle to freeze the images, i.e. take them off the marketplace but not delete them until the issue is resolved.  I had a similar situation regarding a Vincent Van Gogh painting that someone at Zazzle thought was a joint.  It wasn't.  It's a cigarette.  I had to start all over again.  

[mblue]

I totally agree.  The items get deleted without even checking to see if we have the right to use them.

[mblue]

I am reviewing to see what has been deleted and found that after about 4 of my products were sold today and yesterday, they were deleted today.  I also have counted over 105 products that have been deleted and I only received an email about 7 items that were deleted.  I haven't gone through even half of what I've made yet.

Also 3 of my best selling designs were deleted.  Only 2 of them use fonts that I bought.  One doesn't use any uploaded items other than the picture (that makes the customer put their own in place) that is available as free commercial use from a well known free commercial use site.  I didn't get an email about any of these.

This has all been done today.  I regularly look at a lot of different things I sold or created and they were all up yesterday.

This definitely feels very strange.

Is there a way that Zazzle's content management can be contacted before whoever is doing this starts deleting a lot of items again tomorrow?

[marciak]

I had one illustration that I created myself taken down recently.  Not bought or taken from anywhere, just my very own artwork of a landscape.  I've emailed Zazzle content review team as well and also completed the survey link that they sent about their process, letting them know this is my artwork and I own the copyright. It does seem strange as this has never happened to me before but I do appreciate Zazzle protecting artists such as myself.  I think this a new process, not sure if it's an automated take down or not, but I checked my other stores since you mentioned it and nothing else seems taken down, however, I am now keeping track of how many products I have in each store.  But yes, I'm hoping and trust Zazzle if we email them once that they will take it seriously and this doesn't happen again to my store. 

[Barbara]

If you haven't as yet realized this, it's actually more often a tag we've used, not the image itself, that has caused the problem. Only when we contact the review team and receive a reply do we discover it's the words we've used, not the picture. For instance, I once created an image that reminded me of Dali's famous dripping-clocks painting, so in the tags I wrote something like "reminiscent of Dali." Not acceptable. Another was when I referred to the "Olympics," not in the tags but among the text I'd placed on the object. Also not acceptable. A third was where I happened to use Syracuse University's colors and so put "Syracuse University" in the tags. To get any of these reinstated, I had to remake them sans the copyrighted words. A huge number of people have had similar experiences.

Colorwash's Home

[marciak]

Thanks for your insight Barbara, I had not thought of the tags and description although I thought mine were pretty generic.  Will see what they say.

[mblue]

I've had a product removed due to a title before too.  But I don't use any tags or titles that are copyrighted.   My tags are like "invitations, pink, beach", etc.

[alissag]

This has happened to me too, and I didn't even realize I was using a copyrighted term in my tags. Had no idea that "smiley face" was copyrighted, but that's what got me. When it's something as simple as a tag, it would be SO much more helpful if Zazzle could simply delete the offending tag and let us know rather than taking down the whole item.

[chuamishael]

Yeah, the tags is a tricky one, but it seems that zazzle ignore the description however,
by the way, is it possible they delete our design, if the product is discontinued or unavailable?

[KeegansCreation]

Whenever this comes up I post my "things that are not in the public domain even though it seems like they would be" list.

Things that seem like they would be in the public domain but actually aren't.

• Mark Twain
• Oscar Wilde
• Photos of the Eiffel Tower at night
• Robert Frost poetry- while some of it is in the public domain, some of it is not. Zazzle took down one of my Robert Frost products so I deleted all Robert Frost-based products from Zazzle and images from my folders.
• The term Farm Boy
• "think pink"
• Salvador Dali
• Escher
• Lifeguard (the word has been copyrighted)
• "smiley" in reference to the smiley face, and also the smiley face itself (all smile faces must be a little different from the classic one and not be called "smiley")
• Live,Love,Laugh
• a list of things that are copyrighted
• "Fight Like A Girl"
• "No one fights alone"
• "Good Vibes Only"
• Photo of Buzz Aldrin's footprint on the moon.
• "Let's get ready to rumble"

[DIANA]

"Shabby Chic"  & "Onesie" (to describe the one piece undergarment for babies) should also be added to your list.

[Barbara]

What has bothered me since hearing about shabby chic (no uppercase on purpose) is that the company co-opted what had been in the vernacular for a long time before that company ever showed up. If a company wants a brand name, for goodness' sake, choose something unique the way Kodak did instead of stealing words right out of the language.

Colorwash's Home

[KeegansCreation]

Thank you. I will update.

[KeegansCreation]

Things that seem like they would be in the public domain but actually aren't.

• Mark Twain
• Oscar Wilde
• Photos of the Eiffel Tower at night
• Robert Frost poetry- while some of it is in the public domain, some of it is not. Zazzle took down one of my Robert Frost products so I deleted all Robert Frost-based products from Zazzle and images from my folders.
• The term Farm Boy
• "think pink"
• Salvador Dali
• Escher
• Lifeguard (the word has been copyrighted)
• "smiley" in reference to the smiley face, and also the smiley face itself (all smile faces must be a little different from the classic one and not be called "smiley")
• Live,Love,Laugh
• a list of things that are copyrighted
• "Fight Like A Girl"
• "No one fights alone"
• "Good Vibes Only"
• Photo of Buzz Aldrin's footprint on the moon.
• "Let's get ready to rumble"

[marciak]

Oh my goodness, ok in this case you were right Barbara. I had added a tag "thermos" because it is a water bottle and I thought this was ok.  I had forgotten that this was actually a brand as we are so used to referring to any type of thermos looking bottle as a thermos in our household.  Their legal team contacted Zazzle because of this tag, so anyone interested can add this tag of list of tags to avoid.  I may have put in the description as well, I honestly can't remember.  Thanks all!  If these tags are reported in a list somewhere we could keep on Zazzle forum, that would be great as it was an honest mistake.  Or maybe if someone can direct me to the list that would be great.  Thanks KeegansCreation for your list, I'm not sure this is on yours or not. Have a great day everyone!

[klstock]

I had a 4th of July party invitation removed because of "copyright". It was original art, I painted a BBQ grill with some hotdogs on it. I was racking my brain on what it could be...did I use a wrong tag or something? Nope. So I wrote Zazzle and they responded and it turned out the issue was that the grill I painted had 3 legs. Apparently it is a trademark of Weber and any artwork depicting a grill with 3 legs is a no-no!. I did not use "Weber" or any other brand in the tags nor on the artwork either...the issue was literally just that my artwork depicted a grill with 3 legs.

[KeegansCreation]

Really??!!!!😑 That is good to know because I thought as long as you didn't say "Weber" it was ok. I guess this shows the importance of always asking in a reply email to the takedown because there is stuff that is trademarked that we never would have guessed on our own.

[klstock]

Yeah! I didn't put the name "Weber" or anything like that in the artwork, description or tags...it really was just that I used an original image that I created of a BBQ grill that had 3 legs - which apparently is their trademark...

[Melissa_Patton]

Could products with these types of issues be hidden in the Optimization Needed area in the backend with a special icon? Then, they could be fixed even if it required them to get a review by Zazzle before they went back on sale. Maybe, with a text box for comments & an image upload for proof of use rights? Zazzle could still send a notification email with reasons but leave the actual product in the store for fixes.

Most creators are doing everything they can to follow licensing, keywording, and the rest. If they still had access to their products, they’d happily fix them.

[mblue]

No, they are deleted and they say they are deleted up under the item.  When you click on the link, the page says that the product was removed.  When I search for them in my backend, they are gone.

There are over 100 items that have been deleted without an email sent to me about the reason why.  The only way I found out was by looking at what was sold.  I don't use any keywords or copyrighted words or images.

[Barbara]

Did you by any chance use any of the now deleted Zazzle fonts that so many people had problems with a while ago? I'm not sure what they're doing about this currently, but it's possible they're removing any products they find that use them.

Of course and in the end, you won't know until you get a response from contacting them.

Colorwash's Home

[mblue]

I have some that had the deleted fonts, but those were automatically replaced with a new font in August of last year.  All of the items, from what I can tell, were all up on January 3rd this year.  I also had others that didn't use the deleted fonts.

[alissag]

This is an excellent idea, Melissa!

[mblue]

I didn't realize you were saying this as a solution.  I totally agree!

[CreativeLeahG]

You can reply to them for the specifics, provide your license agreements and the items can be reinstated.

[mblue]

Thanks!  I did.  Just waiting on them.  I didn't receive an email about over 200 of the items removed though.

[CreativeLeahG]

you won't. none of us did. There was an issue with a particular font they were using and all products featuring it had to be removed instantly. 

[mblue]

I got an update.  For some of them, I used the tag "Pantone."  They have been recently contacted to not be able to use this tag. (The tag has been used as a way to search last year by Zazzle). 

I still have a lot of designs that didn't use that word, and have also been deleted.  Still trying to see what happened to them.

[Jadendreamer13]

There was an announcement posted by Adobe recently saying that Pantone no longer has an agreement with Adobe products, and they don’t want their Pantone brand name and specific color names or color IDs to be used. I guess the same rule also applies to Zazzle products/titles/tags.