Thanks to an astonishing display of solidarity from our supporters, customers and donors, we received a prompt response from Alison at Etsy. In the first 24 hours we received 500 hits at our website as well as indications that tens of thousands received our appeal by email and social media. Several of you made purchases at the store on our website. Much love and thanks to you all.
The messages of solidarity show that support for Palestinian rights is a juggernaut compared to what it was only a few short years ago. Where we were once a movement we are becoming an irresistible force. Whatever the outcome of our struggle with Etsy, it feels good to be winning on a regular basis.
Here is what Alison wrote to us, and our reply.
From: Etsy Marketplace Integrity <integrity@etsy.com>
To: PAUL LARUDEE
Sent: Monday, March 16, 2015 11:55 AM
Subject: Re: Etsy Shop Suspended
Hello Paul,
This is Alison from Etsy’s Marketplace Integrity Team. I’m reaching out today because I wanted to provide some further clarification about why your shop was suspended.
Your Etsy shop was suspended because you were reselling items you did not design or make, which is a direct violation of our Handmade guidelines. Your shop was not suspended due to your support of Palestinians and Palestinian human rights as noted on your personal website.
Etsy is a marketplace for handmade items – that is, items that have been made or designed by you, the seller. Reselling an item you weren’t involved in designing or creating is prohibited in our Handmade category.
Here are some of the ways that Etsy defines reselling:
- Representing other artists, artisans, or creators (even if you’re authorized to sell on their behalf)
- Selling for the deceased (Note: items that are at least 20 years old may be sold in the Vintage category)
- Selling on behalf of charity or fair trade organizations
- Selling a commercial item unchanged
We take the integrity of our Handmade category very seriously, as I outlined in my last email to you. To be clear, all shops and listings on Etsy are subject to the same policies for what can be sold here.
If you see a listing that you feel might not be appropriate for Etsy, the best way for us to review your report is via our site-wide flagging system. If we find that a listing is in violation of our policies, then we’ll reach out to that member privately about bringing their listings into compliance.
I also want to thank you for your participation in our community as a seller, and offering a high level of customer service to your buyers during the time that you sold here.
I’m sorry that Etsy isn’t able to accommodate these unique items in our marketplace, but we wish you the best in finding the most appropriate venue for them elsewhere.
Best,
Alison
Etsy Marketplace Integrity
http://www.etsy.com/guidelines
From: “solidarity@ism-norcal.org” <solidarity@ism-norcal.org>
To: Etsy Marketplace Integrity <integrity@etsy.com>
Cc: “norcalism-news@lists.riseup.net” <norcalism-news@lists.riseup.net>
Sent: Monday, March 16, 2015 6:29 PM
Subject: Re: [norcalism-news] Etsy Shop Suspended
Hi, Alison.
Thank you for following up, but there are some serious concerns with your explanation.
Even if we accept that you did not deliberately discriminate against us because of our advocacy for Palestinian rights, you are practicing de facto discrimination. You suggest that if If we see a listing that might not be appropriate for Etsy, the best way is to report it via your site-wide flagging system. You are therefore relying heavily upon others to uphold your standards. If no one complains, it is unlikely that you will take action.
This is ripe for exploitation by persons who want to persecute others or sabotage their competition. In our case, our Palestinian advocacy is not appreciated by persons or groups who would be pleased to see Palestinians disappear from the remnants of historic Palestine where they cling to existence under horrific conditions. I can well imagine that such persons might organize in such a manner as to create a critical mass of reports in order to motivate you to close our store. It is therefore not accurate to say that our store was not suspended due to our support of Palestinians and Palestinian human rights, only that this was perhaps not your intention.
As you can see from the many supporters who have written to you on behalf of us, we are certainly capable of using the same means to call attention to others that might also be in violation of your handmade standards. Indeed, we have provided you with evidence that your action was discriminatory. Nevertheless, we have no desire to cause grief for anyone else.
We suggest that instead of abruptly suspending your services to the many small merchants that depend upon them but may be in violation of your standards, you work with them to assure that your actions are reasonable and equitable and supportive of a wider array of “cottage” enterprises. At the very least, we suggest a transition that is not so disruptive as to simply close the business from one day to the next, but rather permits a friendlier and more supportive separation that respects the needs of your users. You might even help by directing potential customers to the new locus of the business during the transition period.
Paul Larudee
International Solidarity Movement Support Group in Northern California
I am going to translate this to Persian for my blog about Palestine.
This is the case when Palestine is fight by law