I know we are all looking for short cuts. It’s natural. It feels easy. We are all busy. I get it.
But, be careful of who you buy from, and be a responsible business owner. It is your responsibility. Do your due diligence on what you buy and who you buy from.
A lot of people have been buying and selling PLR. (For the record, I occasionally buy it, too.) There is nothing wrong with buying PLR. It can save time. But, don’t expect it to sell well or rank well as is. I could go on and on about this, but I’m not going to today.
While it may be common and a bummer when you buy PLR and it doesn’t sell, at least you’ve only wasted your own time and money.
Instead, I want to warn you about a much larger (and more expensive) risk – intellectual property theft (trademark and copyright).
Hopefully, you guys know it’s against the law, and it’s just wrong. You may also know that there are steep fines for this. (I believe up to $35,000 per instance.)
You may also know that if you steal someone’s trademark (i.e. use it) in your Etsy shop, you can lose your entire shop.
I see it all the time on Etsy. And, it is just a matter of time for these shops. The lawyers at Disney and many others, do periodic take downs. There are tons of others that do this, and you’d be surprised how many trademarks are registered.
So, my warning to you is to never use other people’s trademarks. Just don’t.
If something sounds familiar (like a game show, brand name, cartoon character, puzzle, big game (like the one today), just avoid using it. Avoid their logos, too (as well as "trade dress").
Simple as that.
Don’t use them.
And, don’t buy from people that steal them either. I know of at least 4 well known PLR sellers that use them. (I’m sure there are many more.)
One common one is "Chibi." Did you know that’s a trademarked term?
Maybe they didn’t either. It’s hard to tell if they are ignorant or unethical.
I’m guessing they are just ignorant and undereducated on what’s legal.
If you have bought some of these – don’t use them. Don’t list them, don’t sell them. Don’t put them on your Etsy shop or your website…unless you change the name and most likely all/most of the images.
Don’t assume that just because someone sells them and you buy them that you are protected. You’re not. Same goes for clipart.
Do your research.
On trademarks, sometimes it’s as simple as putting into Google, "XYZ trademark."
That’s what I did last night…"Chibi trademark." And, here’s what I got, "CHIBI is a trademark and brand of Chibi LLC, Hollywood, FL. This trademark was filed to USPTO on Friday, June 14, 2019."
So, be careful who you buy from.
I do my best to be careful about who I recommend to you – people that produce good products, original products, people that have real experience in the area they are teaching, people who have a good business sense and ethics.
I’m not perfect, but I try my best.
written by Debbie Gartner
theflooringgirl.com
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Sun 12 Feb 2023, 2:48 pm
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