Reporting Art Theft to Amazon Just Got Easier—and Faster—Than Ever
As a creator of Latin American art, I’ve unfortunately become all too familiar with seeing my work stolen and sold by unscrupulous sellers online. Their business model seems to be centered on theft—taking screenshots of original art, enhancing the resolution, and passing it off as their own.
The seller's name was all too familiar, as I’ve reported them multiple times before.
This morning, when I stumbled upon yet another instance of my work being listed without my consent, I didn’t feel the same gut punch I used to. Instead, it was more of an irritation.
The seller's name was all too familiar, as I’ve reported them multiple times before. I won’t name them, as I don’t want to give them any clicks or attention.
I took a deep breath and added “file a copyright infringement report with Amazon” to my to-do list.
While I’ve reported similar issues in the past, the experience hasn’t always been encouraging. I had decided to keep filing reports more out of principle than any hope things would change, or that Amazon would respond.
About three months ago, I filed a similar report, and after much back-and-forth, I was told I’d need to provide evidence of initiating a lawsuit for Amazon to take the claim seriously. This was just one of many of my artworks and those of other artists that I had found stolen on the site.
The idea of filing a lawsuit for every incident of art theft is unrealistic and prohibitively expensive for a local small business like mine. Copyright law is clear: as the original artist, my work is automatically protected. It should be enough to demonstrate that I hold the copyright by proving I am the creator. This is, after all, the law.
Too often, platforms have made it feel like the burden of protecting our work rests solely on us, forcing artists into costly legal battles just to have their rights acknowledged.
But this time was different.
Within an hour of submitting my copyright infringement report, the offending listing was taken down. It was a stark contrast to my previous experiences.
Not only did Amazon act quickly, but it also seemed to take my complaint seriously.
What changed?
One key difference in my approach this time was providing a link to my direct website instead of linking to my Etsy store. While I can’t say for certain if that made a difference, it’s worth noting. Perhaps Amazon recognized the validity of my claim more quickly because it came from my personal site, which gives more weight to my ownership of the work.
Art theft is not just an insult to artists; it’s a systemic problem that undermines the value of creative work.
Additionally, I noticed that Amazon’s online reporting requirements were a lot less rigorous this time. All I needed to provide was a link to the infringing listing and a link to my own work. The process was simple, and Amazon’s response was refreshingly quick.
I want to commend Amazon for their swift and decisive action. Previously, it felt like they were turning a blind eye to art theft, but today, their response gives me hope. This kind of quick, thorough handling of copyright infringement is exactly what’s needed to dismantle the business model of stealing and reselling art.
Art theft is not just an insult to artists; it’s a systemic problem that undermines the value of creative work. Platforms must do better at protecting creators without requiring the impossible—lawsuits for every stolen piece.
This kind of quick, thorough handling of copyright infringement is exactly what’s needed to dismantle the business model of stealing and reselling art.
It’s refreshing to see platforms like Amazon stepping up to address this issue in a meaningful way. While there’s still a long way to go, moments like these remind me that change is possible.
To my fellow creators: don’t give up. Protect your work, advocate for yourself, and hold these platforms accountable. Small wins like this remind us that persistence can pay off.
Start a report here: https://www.amazon.com/report/infringement
