Author Topic: Digital downloads on Etsy (Read 21081 times)

cascoly · « **on:** June 28, 2020, 16:21 »

Anyone have experience selling digital downloads thru Etsy? When i looked a few years ago, this wasn't an option.

Shelma1 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 28, 2020, 16:54 »

I listed one thing but got no sales, and at the time it was easier to just sell on Shutterstock. However, there’s a Facebook group dedicated to selling digital files on Etsy.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/562343867519170/

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #2 on:** June 28, 2020, 17:18 »

Just a note to beware. I got a chargeback of $25 + $20 from Paypal for a sale through Photoshelter four months after the fact. PP has zero protection for digital products for the buyer. I've read you should mail them a receipt with tracking and use that as proof, but I don't know if that works, and you need their address.

shiyali · « **Reply #3 on:** June 28, 2020, 20:46 »

Quote from: cascoly on June 28, 2020, 16:21

Anyone have experience selling digital downloads thru Etsy? When i looked a few years ago, this wasn't an option.

It is an option, but you have to pay 0.20U$ per item listed every four months, no matter if it sells or not.

Justanotherphotographer · « **Reply #4 on:** June 29, 2020, 03:58 »

LOTS of stolen work on etsy in my experience. Mostly know it for the number of DMCA take downs I've had to issue.
Oh, and sellers there know to dispute your claim and Etsy will let them repost, leaving you with the option of suing if you want to take it further.

Not a fan.

Artist · « **Reply #5 on:** June 29, 2020, 05:45 »

Quote from: Justanotherphotographer on June 29, 2020, 03:58

LOTS of stolen work on etsy in my experience. Mostly know it for the number of DMCA take downs I've had to issue.
Oh, and sellers there know to dispute your claim and Etsy will let them repost, leaving you with the option of suing if you want to take it further.

Not a fan.

can you share some detailed experience of this?
I also see lot of my works being uploaded there.

Justanotherphotographer · « **Reply #6 on:** June 29, 2020, 05:51 »

Quote from: Artist on June 29, 2020, 05:45

Quote from: Justanotherphotographer on June 29, 2020, 03:58
LOTS of stolen work on etsy in my experience. Mostly know it for the number of DMCA take downs I've had to issue.
Oh, and sellers there know to dispute your claim and Etsy will let them repost, leaving you with the option of suing if you want to take it further.

Not a fan.

can you share some detailed experience of this?
I also see lot of my works being uploaded there.

Use this form. You can report multiple thefts of the same work on one form.
Link to your work on a stock site in the right place.

Gets very quick and easy after the first couple of times (when you know the layout).

https://www.etsy.com/legal/ip/report

Make sure you you email other people who's work you spot and organise them to send DMCAs too. As I said some thieves have learnt to send counter-notices every time, but Etsy will take down a shop if enough artists report the same one.

The scum bags probably have their own facebook groups too, advising each other on how to avoid takedowns!

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #7 on:** June 29, 2020, 07:03 »

Quote from: shiyali on June 28, 2020, 20:46

Quote from: cascoly on June 28, 2020, 16:21
Anyone have experience selling digital downloads thru Etsy? When i looked a few years ago, this wasn't an option.

It is an option, but you have to pay 0.20U$ per item listed every four months, no matter if it sells or not.

If it sells, there is no listing fee, I believe.

shiyali · « **Reply #8 on:** June 29, 2020, 07:46 »

Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on June 29, 2020, 07:03

Quote from: shiyali on June 28, 2020, 20:46
Quote from: cascoly on June 28, 2020, 16:21
Anyone have experience selling digital downloads thru Etsy? When i looked a few years ago, this wasn't an option.

It is an option, but you have to pay 0.20U$ per item listed every four months, no matter if it sells or not.

If it sells, there is no listing fee, I believe.

" You will be charged a listing fee whether or not the listed item sells, "
https://www.etsy.com/legal/fees/

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #9 on:** June 29, 2020, 09:45 »

Yeah, I think I misunderstood what I read.

csm · « **Reply #10 on:** June 29, 2020, 11:11 »

Quote from: shiyali on June 29, 2020, 07:46

Quote from: Sean Locke Photography on June 29, 2020, 07:03
Quote from: shiyali on June 28, 2020, 20:46
Quote from: cascoly on June 28, 2020, 16:21
Anyone have experience selling digital downloads thru Etsy? When i looked a few years ago, this wasn't an option.

It is an option, but you have to pay 0.20U$ per item listed every four months, no matter if it sells or not.

If it sells, there is no listing fee, I believe.
" You will be charged a listing fee whether or not the listed item sells, "
https://www.etsy.com/legal/fees/

I gave up with it, the listing fee was annoying me too.

Minsc · « **Reply #11 on:** June 29, 2020, 14:28 »

Whether you sell on Esty or not, some sellers are probably still selling your content. That place is a infringement hotbed and the sellers abuse counter-infringement system like crazy. I keep killing the roaches and they come back like every few weeks.

cascoly · « **Reply #12 on:** June 29, 2020, 17:21 »

thanks for the input & what to watch for - my main concern would the time it takes to post an item, so guess i'll give it a test - i have a little extra time right now

i'm not too concerned about the listing fees - i sell (non-photo items) on ebay & amazon where costs run 15-30% - plus $15/mo for an ebay store that covers most listing fees and $25/mo for a daily repricing app for amazon

Anyka · « **Reply #13 on:** June 30, 2020, 00:34 »

I sell digital downloads on Etsy for a few years now, but it's not purely images. I sell templates to be used by professional baby photographers, so they can photoshop babies into it. As a baby photographer myself, I show the finished product (with baby) on Etsy and sell the empty PSD or JPG as a digital download for a price between 16 and 23 dollars (gross). With 48 templates active this gives me a net annual income of about 450 USD. Not much, I know, but I made these templates for my own studio, so no extra work except submitting them to Etsy. I have had not a single problem with client payments or infringements up till today.
(for the curious ones, this is my Etsy shop : [size=78%]https://www.etsy.com/shop/AnykaPhotography[/size])

shiyali · « **Reply #14 on:** June 30, 2020, 03:58 »

Quote from: Anyka on June 30, 2020, 00:34

I sell digital downloads on Etsy for a few years now, but it's not purely images. I sell templates to be used by professional baby photographers, so they can photoshop babies into it. As a baby photographer myself, I show the finished product (with baby) on Etsy and sell the empty PSD or JPG as a digital download for a price between 16 and 23 dollars (gross). With 48 templates active this gives me a net annual income of about 450 USD. Not much, I know, but I made these templates for my own studio, so no extra work except submitting them to Etsy. I have had not a single problem with client payments or infringements up till today.
(for the curious ones, this is my Etsy shop : [size=78%]https://www.etsy.com/shop/AnykaPhotography[/size])

Outstanding work, not surprised you are doing well there!

cascoly · « **Reply #15 on:** June 30, 2020, 17:03 »

Clever! well done!

Pixart · « **Reply #16 on:** June 30, 2020, 22:58 »

I purchased a SVG file on Etsy that had a thin outline of a "C" across the front of it. Nah, couldn't have been from a poorly erased copyright symbol because Etsy didn't care when I brought it to their attention. They said if I had a problem I should ask for a refund from the Seller.

Noedelhap · « **Reply #17 on:** July 01, 2020, 06:32 »

I contacted a seller yesterday who was reselling some derivatives of my vector work. I said it's not permitted to (re)sell (altered versions of) my work, even with a license. She said she did buy an RF license but misread the terms. She apologized and removed the items from her shop.

Bottom line: if you ever find your items on Etsy, try contacting the shop owner and politely but sternly explain the situation. That might be more effective than contacting Etsy with a DMCA.

Minsc · « **Reply #18 on:** July 01, 2020, 15:18 »

Quote from: Noedelhap on July 01, 2020, 06:32

I contacted a seller yesterday who was reselling some derivatives of my vector work. I said it's not permitted to (re)sell (altered versions of) my work, even with a license. She said she did buy an RF license but misread the terms. She apologized and removed the items from her shop.

Bottom line: if you ever find your items on Etsy, try contacting the shop owner and politely but sternly explain the situation. That might be more effective than contacting Etsy with a DMCA.

It's a mixed bag.

Some people will take it down. Some people gave me a hard time, asking for evidence of ownership or copyright. Some people think they own the artwork because they made slight changes to it. Some people just refuse to take it down. The people who refused to take it down forced me to file DMCA take down notices. Even then, some of them file counter claims and gave fake contact information (Shop in US, but their address is some random place in Europe).

I've gotten tired of contacting the shop owners. It's a waste of my time. Nowadays, I just file take DMCA take notices and let Etsy sort them out.

jasonlee3071 · « **Reply #19 on:** July 01, 2020, 18:16 »

I established a shop on etsy selling strictly digital downloads. That was 2 months ago. Haven't sold anything yet but still hoping.

stock shooter · « **Reply #20 on:** July 06, 2020, 13:14 »

For what it's worth, I'm just opening an Etsy "gallery" selling prints of my work. Only have a few listing up so no info yet on how well it's doing. I would not sell digital downloads there, read too many horror stories. Too cheap, and actually selling prints can give you a higher profit margin than downloads in spite of the overhead and cost of shipping. I've read a number of forum posts where buyers on balance prefer to buy prints over digital downloads anyway so they don't have to go through the effort of printing. There are printing companies that do drop shipping for photographers so photogs don't have to package and mail the prints. Just my two cents.

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #21 on:** July 06, 2020, 17:50 »

Reading that forum on FB, sellers there are incredibly unknowledgeable about things like licenses and copyright. They have MS Paint, so they’re ready to go.

cascoly · « **Reply #22 on:** July 06, 2020, 18:45 »

what companies have you used for drop shipping? FAA will do it, but their prices are high and artist margin low

for me $5 net for a print is too low, considering the amt of work to set up & order, while $5 for a download is acceptable if it's automatic

MicroSto70 · « **Reply #23 on:** July 15, 2020, 15:48 »

Hi Everyone

Reading this it appears there are a lot of issues regarding copyright and licensing, guess you got to be smart who to give out your work to. Its a shark tank out there.

I didn't know that the Drop Shipping Method is coming into fashion here as well, this seems to be something to look into, I agree. Where do you start is there a good address anyone knows of?

Sincere regards

Dave · « **Reply #24 on:** August 06, 2020, 07:57 »

Etsy used to be a good place, it has now turned into JUST ANOTHER ripoff site, thet not only charge you to up load images but once you sell something they HOLD THE MONEY for quite sometime.

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Author Topic: Digital downloads on Etsy (Read 21081 times)

cascoly

Shelma1

Sean Locke Photography

shiyali

Justanotherphotographer

Artist

Justanotherphotographer

Sean Locke Photography

shiyali

Sean Locke Photography

csm

Minsc

cascoly

Anyka

shiyali

cascoly

Pixart

Noedelhap

Minsc

jasonlee3071

stock shooter

Sean Locke Photography

cascoly

MicroSto70

Dave

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