{"id":921129,"date":"2026-10-08T22:36:22","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T22:36:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/921129\/"},"modified":"2026-10-08T22:36:22","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T22:36:22","slug":"once-a-home-for-handmade-artists-say-etsy-is-now-overrun-with-ai-and-copied-works","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/921129\/","title":{"rendered":"Once a home for handmade, artists say Etsy is now overrun with AI and copied works"},"content":{"rendered":"

Global online marketplace Etsy is known as a haven for the handmade, with Etsy describing itself as a place “where creativity lives and thrives” with a mission to “keep commerce human”.<\/p>\n

But platform users are reporting an influx of AI-generated products, and in some cases, copied artistic work.<\/p>\n

Hobart-based Lucy Cooper started selling handmade crochet items on Instagram when she was in her late teens.<\/p>\n

\"Close<\/p>\n

Lucy Cooper has been crocheting since she was 15. (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke)<\/p>\n

She recently designed a spiral beanie inspired by 90s surfwear.<\/p>\n

“I did a lot of research \u2026 and this one ‘granny square’ [traditional crochet pattern] stood out to me, and I thought, ‘I’ve never seen anyone put that on a hat,'” she said.<\/p>\n

“I was like, ‘You know what, I’m gonna do that.'”<\/p>\n

The design instantly took off, with Ms Cooper attracting global attention on social media.<\/p>\n

\"Over<\/p>\n

A law expert says artists need more clarity on their ownership rights. (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke)<\/p>\n

“People from the UK started messaging me [and] the US and so many different places around the world. And that’s when my video went viral [and] my DMs just blew up \u2026 I had over 100 people in my messages.”<\/p>\n

She decided to make a crochet pattern for the beanie and sell it on Etsy.<\/p>\n

But after a few months, she said she discovered another Etsy store selling an AI-generated version of her pattern, with AI-generated images.<\/p>\n

\"Over<\/p>\n

Lucy Cooper found an AI version of her crochet design on Etsy. (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke)<\/p>\n

Etsy users who purchased the item contacted Ms Cooper and said it was an AI-generated pattern and did not effectively produce the beanie.<\/p>\n

“I went straight into a bit of a sad moment,” she said.<\/p>\n

“It was a lot of work that I feel like was kind of belittled.<\/p>\n

“There’s a big difference between being inspired by something and completely copying it without someone’s permission.”<\/p>\n

\"Lucy,<\/p>\n

Lucy Cooper says she put a lot of work into designing the beanie pattern. (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke)<\/p>\n

At the time of writing, the seller had 67 products for purchase and had made 720 sales.<\/p>\n

The ABC put images from two different products through an AI-detection service, with the tool determining they were 97 per cent “fake”.<\/p>\n

The seller has been contacted for comment.<\/p>\n

AI tech makes copying easy<\/p>\n

It is not the first time this has happened. Artists across the globe have voiced frustrations after discovering Etsy stores selling AI copies of their creative work.<\/p>\n

Loading Instagram content<\/p>\n

In an Instagram post, Lora (@im.rugs), a rug maker, said, “I’m genuinely disappointed that Etsy allows this. I’m seeing more and more artists being ripped off, and it’s not okay.”<\/p>\n

In another post<\/a>, a UK-based creative (@luneclubstudios) who makes wall art said, “AI tech has made it so easy to copy someone else’s work at the click of a button, and then real artists are left to compete with cheaper AI-generated versions of their own art.”<\/p>\n

But whilst many creatives are using social media to speak up against copying and broader use of AI, some social media influencers are encouraging people to use AI on Etsy.<\/p>\n

One influencer (@ivy.system) made an Instagram post<\/a> with a caption that said, “I made [this print] in about 12 minutes using AI. No Photoshop. No Canva. No design skills \u2026 That one file now covers my rent”.<\/p>\n

“I’m not a designer. I’m not an artist. I never studied anything creative. I just found a prompt formula that creates prints people actually want to buy,” they said.<\/p>\n

In turn, frustrated buyers are asking others for help identifying AI stores on Etsy, lamenting that the app has turned into an AI “wasteland”.<\/p>\n

Discussions created on Reddit about the issue include topics such as:<\/p>\n

Got Scammed by AI pattern<\/p>\n

Etsy has become an AI dropshipping wasteland<\/p>\n

I got scammed on Etsy with an AI pattern<\/p>\n

I accidentally bought an AI pattern on Etsy, can I get my money back? They stole photos from a legit creator so I couldn’t tell it was AI until I bought it<\/p>\n

Here to warn yall of an artificial intelligence Etsy shop<\/p>\n

Did I get scammed by an AI Etsy crochet pattern? The instructions don’t make sense with the result photo\u00a0<\/p>\n

In a statement, Etsy’s vice-president of customer operations, James Ossman, said the company’s standard was “centred on human creativity”.<\/p>\n

“Sellers may use AI as a tool, but not to deceive buyers, misrepresent an item, or copy the work of others,” he said.<\/p>\n

“We also know standards are only meaningful when they’re enforced.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“Doing that across a marketplace of Etsy’s scale is complex, and we have more work to do.<\/p>\n

“We’re continuing to improve how we identify and remove listings that don’t belong, so that our marketplace remains a place where human creativity can thrive.”<\/p>\n

When does copyright law protect you from AI?<\/p>\n

There has been ongoing public debate about AI copyright laws in recent years.<\/p>\n

The federal government ruled out a copyright exemption for AI companies training their models on Australian creative works in October 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, a recently leaked government proposal suggested reforms that would allow AI companies to train on materials found online, requiring creators to opt out to protect their work.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Close<\/p>\n

People across the world purchased Lucy Cooper’s spiral beanie. (ABC News: Ebony ten Broeke)<\/p>\n

Melbourne-based law professor Jeannie Paterson said the current debate addressed the training of AI models, but not their output.<\/p>\n

“The issue of AI copying or mimicking human content is a different one because we’re looking at outputs, not inputs,” Professor Paterson said.<\/p>\n

She explained that uploading an image of a creative work to an AI program and asking for a variation may be in breach of copyright, but the legality is “very unclear”.<\/p>\n

\"Jeannie,<\/p>\n

Professor Jeannie Paterson says some of the legalities of AI are unclear.\u00a0 (ABC News: Kyle Harley)<\/p>\n

“Copyright is clumsy when we’re applying [it] to AI,” she said.<\/p>\n

“AI has made it possible to copy an artwork \u2026 and then produce a variation on it. Copyright attaches to creative works, but it doesn’t attach to the style of a creative work.<\/p>\n

“So, if the AI-generated output is in the style but isn’t the same, then that’s not necessarily a breach of copyright.”<\/p>\n

She said that whilst there were several legal protections for artists, they all “have their limits” and enforcing protections could be challenging.<\/p>\n

“We need clarity for artists on what their rights are in the AI age, and also clarity on how they can pursue and enforce those rights.”<\/p>\n