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Minted's Policy on Copying and Infringement

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Artist Relations Team at Minted
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If you find a design, artwork, or challenge submission that appears to be too similar to an existing piece on Minted, please let us know immediately by filling out this Designs to Flag for Review form, and we’ll take it from there.

Our Philosophy and Community Values

Minted is a design marketplace connecting consumers with the world’s best artists to create something one of a kind. To maintain our unique assortment of products, we require community members to create their own authentic work. When artists submit to a Minted Challenge, they agree to our Terms and Conditions that state, “you promise, represent and warrant that each and every Artwork you submit to Minted is your own original work.”

As a community, we want to help artists understand where the line is between inspiration and imitation, and protect artists’ work. As a company, we strive to only feature work that is created independently, and that does not infringe on the copyrighted work of others.

Because originality is one of our core company and community values, we take infringement and copyright laws very seriously. We are committed to defending our intellectual property and respecting the intellectual property of others. We take immediate action when outside sources infringe on Minted designs and artwork. Designs or artwork that constitute infringement will be removed from Minted immediately, and artists with repeat violations may no longer be able to participate in Minted challenges.

In addition to infringement, we also want to respect the unique work of the Minted artist community. Designs or artwork that are determined to be “not original” in reference to an existing submission or design in the Minted assortment may not be eligible for selection or sale.

 

What is copyright infringement?

The use of copyrighted work without consent is considered to be copyright infringement.    Copyright holders have certain exclusive rights to their work, including rights to reproduce, distribute, and display their work and to make derivative works. The works need only be “substantially similar”—not identical—in order for works to be deemed copyright infringement.

Copyright law does provide for the “fair use” of copyrighted work by others, but this is a very limited exception to the protections of the law and does not generally permit use for commercial purposes.

Merely attributing the use of copyrighted work to the creator does not create an exception to copyright laws. People often mistakenly assume that you can quote a copyrighted phrase or statement and that it will be permitted with attribution, but you must obtain the permission of the copyright holder before such usage. For more information, read the FAQ article titled Can I use song lyrics or famous quotes in my designs? 

If you infringe copyrighted work, you may be liable for damages. If you have a question as to whether your work would be considered copyright infringement, please consult an attorney.  

 

How you can help

Whether it’s from another company or from within the Minted community, if you find a design, artwork, or challenge submission that appears to be too similar to an existing piece on Minted, please let us know immediately by filling out this Designs to Flag for Review form, and we’ll take it from there.

Please do not directly contact companies or individuals you suspect of infringement, similarity, or copying. This includes posting about the situation on social media, in online groups, or anywhere on Minted.com. Doing so may hurt our case if we need to take legal action. It also gives infringers the heads-up that Minted has been made aware of the copy before we are able to take proper action.  

Likewise, when you find challenge submissions that you think are too similar to other challenge submissions or products in the Minted assortment, we ask that you not comment on designs or artwork nor reach out to artists directly about your concerns. Instead, please contact us via the Designs to Flag for Review form. We keep information submitted through the Designs to Flag for Review form confidential within Minted; we do not disclose the names of the parties who fill out the form. We'd like your help to keep the Minted community a place where everyone feels comfortable experimenting, growing, learning (and, yes, making a few mistakes), and we don't want anyone to feel they are being targeted or called out.

Minted has a team that reviews all challenge submissions for uniqueness. In addition, our community is a great help to us in identifying infringement or works that are too similar, so please don't hesitate to fill out the form if you see something that you feel is questionable. We sincerely appreciate and share the passion you have for protecting the work on Minted, and we take swift action when necessary.

How we determine whether to take action

  • We have developed a rubric of questions. Each reviewer scores the case on many dimensions.
  • We have dedicated reviewers who will review all cases, for consistency’s sake.
  • We will not publish our rubric because we don’t want to provide a roadmap for how to game the system.

What happens after a strike?

  • Win counts and all prize payments are revoked.
  • The offending design is removed from the Minted site.
  • Our brand team, merchandising team, and Mariam, Minted’s Founder and Co-CEO, will have access to the list of artists with strikes and may take that into consideration for special marketing and commissioned design opportunities. We can’t guarantee, however, that people with strikes will never receive these opportunities.
  • During a suspension, the artist cannot enter Challenges or self-launch.
  • We will allow artists to rejoin the community after serving a limited-time suspension. So far, no artist who re-entered after a suspension has received an additional strike after re-entering.

What happens if a winning design is later determined to be “too similar to accept into the assortment, but not a copy”?

  • Win count and top-rated prize payment are revoked. If the artist already submitted files, we will not revoke the EP prize amount.
  • The “too similar” design is removed from the Minted site.

 

Looking for creative inspiration?

On a lighter note, if you’re seeking creative inspiration, here are some recommendations:

 

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