Let's Talk: A Discussion on Etsy's New Policy

Hello HIVE Creators,

We're reaching out about a significant update you may have seen: Etsy has rolled out a new Creativity Standards Policy.

This new policy introduces stricter definitions for what's considered "handmade," particularly for items made with tools like 3D printers. The key change requires that such items must be based on a "seller’s original design."

Currently these changes to the creativity guidelines are not being enforced (nor were they introduced publicly by Etsy, but we know this raises a lot of questions about how our licensed designs fit into Etsy's new framework.

We Got Your Back

Here at Cubee, we are deep-diving into the full implications of this policy. 

For starters - using original photos has always been the best way to protect your shop from being flagged as unoriginal. So using photos of your actual prints is the best first-alteration you can make.We already see a few potential paths forward, such as: offering designs as kits, enhancing personalization of designs, increasing offerings of ultra-exclusive products, creating production-partnerships with designers and many other solutions.  

Before we issue any official recommendations, we believe the most important step is to come together as a community. Your experiences and insights are invaluable, and we want to figure out the best strategy together.

This May be a Good Thing While this situation presents a clear challenge, we also see it as a significant opportunity. A policy like this could lead to reduced competition across the platform, potentially allowing growth for dedicated, high-quality sellers like you.

We invite you to a community meeting to discuss these changes, share our initial thoughts, and hear directly from you.

Join us on Discord tomorrow for a community call!

• When: Tuesday, June 17th

• Time:

  • 8:00 PM (20:00) Central European Time (CET)

  • 2:00 PM (14:00) US Eastern Time (ET)

  • 11:00 AM (11:00) US Pacific Time (PT)

  • 4:00 AM on Wednesday morning in Sydney, Australia (AEST)

• Where: Our official CUBEE Discord Server LINK
  

This is our chance to collaborate, ask questions, and build a clear plan. We are confident that by working together, we can adapt and continue to succeed.

Looking forward to speaking with you all.

The Cubee Team