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Ok I posted my 10 images for 1st time for approval in SS... 4 were rejected with comments and rest without any comments.
but these 2 photos got strange reason for rejection--
 "Trademark--Contains potential trademark or copyright infringement" (for both these photos)

But i did not find any logo or something anywhere in my whole photo, do you ?
More over these 2 are already in my DT gallery so why did they not find any Trademark potential ?
please help me. Its so frustrating. Can I reclaim for these 2 photos in SS ?

But then they can assume anything for any submission man... anyways what about this doll ? If they had considered any 1 of these then i could have scored 7/10...

This is strange man... then why don't they consider a tree, garden or a shape of pond,a crown or a patter/design as trademark of some restaurant,any school or any cloth company.. I seriously cant digest such reasons... everything has a chance of being a potential trademark somewhere in any corner of the world... or else they simply must not accept an individual doll or any object. In fact they should not keep a category named "Object or abstract" also. So funny.

Yes they can do whatever they want, get ready for that. No use arguing, except in forum debates. The agenciys do whatever they want. I'm fine with that. They also change their mind or sometimes one reviewers opinion is different from the next one.

The problem with the doll is someone designed and manufactured it, it's protected for the eyes, nose, mouth, face, and probably the navel. Avoid these kind of subjects until you get accepted.

Ball never applied for a trademark or copyright of the smiley and earned just $45 for his work. State Mutual, similarly, did not make any money from the design. Ball's son, Charles Ball is reported to have said his father never regretted not registering the copyright. Telegram & Gazette reported Charles Ball as saying "he was not a money-driven guy, he used to say, 'Hey, I can only eat one steak at a time, drive one car at a time'".

Emphasis mine. Maybe they feel the yellow ball is distinctive enough that someone would claim their version is protected?

If you have four of seven rejected, that means they stopped looking, not that the other six were accepted. That's why people have oftne said, submit all new images. However if you know for certain that something was accepted, it should be reasonable to believe it will be accepted again.

Wal Mart is trying to claim ownership of the smiley face - they haven't fully succeeded yet, but I doubt anyone wants to face their lawyers. (in France some other guy owns the rights to it).

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0508-04.htm

Ok then they should consider such smiley face everywhere from any contributor in any form..
why are these faces in SS if it is registered trademark and they dont accept such smiley face-

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-34928509/stock-photo--d-rendering-of-happy-yellow-faces.html?src=cd552e3c00d66accca64f531f6a57ae2-1-33

and   here-

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-38401402/stock-photo-smiley-ball-on-isolated-white-background.html?src=cd552e3c00d66accca64f531f6a57ae2-2-84


and here-

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-41128630/stock-photo-happy-smiley.html?src=p-38401402

and-

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-7247632/stock-photo-three-smiley-faces-over-white.html?src=cd552e3c00d66accca64f531f6a57ae2-5-82

and-

http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-43757500/stock-photo-smileys.html?src=cd552e3c00d66accca64f531f6a57ae2-6-97


There so many smiley faces already in SS only... just search with keywords...

They must delete or they should put a note in the front page or atleast in shutterbuzz where they have mentioned that "smiley face is trademark from 1971" that they are not accepting such smiley from date-xyz. Photos of smileys submitted before that date are retained in SS. etc etc More over they dont mention the date uploaded any photo like IS..
Because many a new contributors like me 1st explore the site's gallery to know what kind of photos are being accepted before planning to submit their own photos

The doll is of course copyrighted since you didn't design/make it and it's the main focus of the image. No experienced stocker would dare to shoot/upload commercial objects unless editorially.
The smiley is an exact copy of the Yahoo smiley and available on many emoticon sites, even as vectors. You can't piggyback on their success unless it would be blurred somewhere in the background.
Just try to upload original work, like models with a proper release. If you upload other's people creative efforts you'll get a reputation as a bottom-feeder.

Not really, it should be a commercial object and it should be recognizable as unique work, like the doll. Plates, spoons, forks, gavels, most clothes are also made by others, but considered generic enough to pass. Cars and cruiseships on the other hand are not so generic unless you crop a detail out. It's a thin line but experience will tell.
No idea but the smiley is very recognizable and used all over the web, also Yahoo. You can't pass it as original work anyways, not even if you change some small details. It doesn't matter since obviously it's a commercial object so see below.
In that case you'll have to try to convince the reviewer that the doll is made indeed in your factory and upload a property release for it, stating that you as the owner of the company owns the design.
Imagine this : the doll is sold as commercial RF and used by a competitor of the actual doll designer/factory that made it. He could sue the agency's ass off. That's why agencies try to stay on the safe side.
They are for the reviewer since your images were rejected.

Harvey Ball World Smile Foundation: http://www.worldsmile.org/

I have a question regarding copyrights : The thumb up from facebook is copyrighted?

This proves that there is always a chance of rejection on the basis of copyright... better not to post an object's photo in your 1st  approval step... from my own experience i learnt that. No Guarantee that your own thumb is not a copyright of anyone and if not then also post in editorial... atleast for initial approval lol. be in safe side, otherwise you keep shouting later and people will keep on providing you the links that your thumb is copyright hehehehehe

ok. thank you for suggesting cobalt