I am fed up with reporting items for copyright infringement, sadly mostly new sellers. Three on the first page! Reported so many think in future will report directly to the owners of the material, maybe then something will be done about it.
If shops were vetted before they went live the EBay, market stall look would be eliminated.
Folksy take a look is this what you now want? Not genuine handmade, rubbish put together. Then let us know and will not spend days making a hand hind journal, with stitching contents and more.
I was contemplating listing one of the acrylic ‘stained glass’ bird Suncatchers which are all over the Asian shopping platforms .. just to see how long they were allowed to stay in my shop.
What do you think ?
Copyright infingement
No Ce testing
Mass produced items …
I feel like I spend half my time checking out items and reporting only to see days later they are still there.
Do you think it’s time sellers stopped doing it ?
The call for vetting is never going to happen.
I am going to stop reporting again, at the end of the day it should be Folksy checking new sellers not us.
The lack of CE testing doesn’t seem to matter (it will when the regs change) the emphasis seems to be that it is down to sellers to know the rules. My concern is that customers buy and believe the items are safe because afterall they are allowed for sale on here.
The only way Folksy can remain a handcrafted platform is if they check new shops themselves before opening.
They could still keep Folksy open to all levels of crafter, it doesn’t necessarily need to become a high end platform but if people had to be vetted first it would stop a lot of the rubbish we keep seeing and would send out a different message to potential customers.
I,m curious and have a question regarding copyright and legalities and would appreciate any info… if I purchase fabric for example, a spiderman themed fabric as I have done in the past from hobbycraft, if I make a product using this fabric am I breaking any rules? I assumed that the fabric producer would have sorted out the copyright so can I legally produce something of my own to sell on Folksy? Would I be held accountable for breaking copyright rules and regs?
There have been many discussions about this and when I looked into it there is an arguement that when you buy the fabric you do not enter into an agreement with the seller so can do what you want with fabric under the ‘First sale doctrine’. The copywrite agreement is with the manufacturer and the seller. However, when dealing with famous brands like Marvel, Disney etc. they are very vigorous in pursueing people who they believe have infringed the copywrite, so, personally I’m not prepared to be dragged to court to defend myself so I steer clear of making anything with licensed fabric for my shop.
Thank you, I’ll stick to using my star wars, spiderman and batman fabrics for the partners jean patches there’s plenty of other beautiful fabric out there to play with as I really don’t want to put myself at risk.
Also buying a length of fabric, sometimes and not just the obvious copyrighted well known Disney/Marvel/Harry Potter (HP my personal bug bear with people misusing it!!) with the selvedge intact, you can see on some that it is printed for personal use only, so what seems a very lovely piece of fabric but with restrictions to use.
I know when some purchase a fat quarter the selvedge is not on, but you still should be mindful.
Perhaps I need to pass this info onto a friend that does craft fairs. She’s used various Disney characters, Rupert bear for her items… a sensitive subject to bring up without causing upset but better than being dragged through court should she get reported
So while we are discussing the things for sale here on Folksy which should quite clearly not be for sale here on this British handmade sales platform
ie, unique handmade gifts and original art - crafted by talented UK artists and makers
Because That IS for sale here on Folksy, has been for some time along with other similar… Has been reported as quite obviously not British Handmade but astonishinglly is still there !
Opinions please.
I reported them days ago Joy, they are mass produced in India.
I didn’t realise they were still there, I saw them a couple of weeks ago in the best sellers list.
It’s pointless us wasting our time, I really do think if we all stopped policing Folksy either someone will have to be appointed to do it or it will go the same way as other selling sites and I for one will move on to a platform that does check sellers.
I am getting more and more frustrated with it and not wasting anymore time checking for CE testing, copyright infringement, Ali express bought in tat, mass produced or overseas shops.
I can use that time for managing my own shop.
Well personally I find it annoying especially when as a newcomer I’m trying to do my best to adhere to rules and regulations..I made a range of finger puppets but then realised that I had to look at CEregs.. none of which I understood so I gave them to a friend explaining exactly why. I have noticed toys on here with no mention of CE regs,that’s not to say that they don’t have them but surely if you did you would state it? A bit of a minefield really
Some sellers have been reporting lack of CE testing for a long time, it gets ignored because it’s up to the sellers to know or find out rules and regulations like you yourself has before they start selling.
I completely agree that all sellers should look into everything before they start a business I certainly did but many don’t and they don’t come on here asking for advice either.
The reason we police CE is because we worry that a child may be harmed.
CE testing regs are about to change and for the better. My former life I was a health and safety manager and I feel quite strongly about lack of testing so when new regs come in I will be pleased. When they do platforms like Folksy will also be liable should anyone make a claim against a seller for an unsafe toy.
If it was my site they wouldn’t have been allowed to sell them in the first place,
Not because their items arn’t beautiful as many are but because I would put safety first.
When the regs change Folksy will have a mammoth task of checking shops to
Make sure there are no toys then they will have to look at and check the details of CE testing for those sellers then unfortunately move them on. It could have been prevented if it was done when they opened a shop.
It is nice to see new sellers that come for advice and take it on board.
All the best with your shop.
That’s another issue I have mentioned, many people are totally unaware and presume as items are for sale that they are safe to sell. We
see it mentioned all the time ‘buy British as it has to comply to certain standards, people assume if it is made in the Uk it meets those standards.
Apparantly 65% of all toys sold on online platforms including on Folksy are not safe for children, it’s shocking.
there’s plenty of other beautiful fabric out there to play with as I really don’t want to put myself at risk. 
but better than being dragged through court should she get reported