Hobart artist raises concerns over AI copy sold on Etsy

Hobart crochet artist Lucy Cooper says another Etsy shop sold an AI-generated copy of her beanie pattern, as artists raise concerns about their work being copied on the online marketplace.

Cooper developed a spiral beanie drawing on 90s surfwear and began selling instructions on Etsy after her design attracted international interest on social media. Months later, she said, she found another shop offering an AI-generated version, accompanied by AI-generated pictures. Buyers told her the purchased instructions did not successfully produce the hat.

Other creators, including a rug maker and a UK wall-art maker, have also complained about AI copies of their designs. Buyers have used Reddit discussions to seek help identifying AI-generated patterns and question whether they can obtain refunds.

Etsy vice-president of customer operations James Ossman said sellers could use AI, but could not mislead customers, misrepresent products or copy others' work. He acknowledged the company needed to do more to enforce its standards and said it was improving its processes for finding and removing unsuitable listings.

Melbourne law professor Jeannie Paterson said copyright questions about AI outputs differed from those surrounding model training. Asking AI to alter an uploaded artwork might infringe copyright, she said, but the legal position was unclear. Copyright protected creative works rather than their style, and artists needed clearer guidance on their rights and enforcement options.