HELP! Slapped by Zazzle for Pixabay image

I just had seven products removed from my Zazzle store for copyright infringement  I thought Pixabay was supposed to be totally public domain? Anyone else ever run into that?

I better check my store and see what's going on.

They sent me an email notice for each product. It was all with the same image.

Yes, but this is what it says on the first page

You can freely use any image from this website in digital and printed format for personal and commercial use without attribution to the original author.

What is a DMCA?

It was a line drawing of a guy plowing a field with a couple of horses. I searched "farm" and it was on the second page.

Thanks!

Ryank, I was wondering if someone could do that. Ack!!!!

Thanks so much, Simon. I'm almost in tears with gratitude. I really don't want to infringe on anyone's art, but the emails from Zazzle made me feel guilty....not that they were rude. Still....

How do I "redirect"? 

That's the one I used. They took all seven of my products with that image down.

It's ragtimelil. The link is below.

Thanks...snifff

OK we figured out what the problem was. I'm rather embarrassed. It wasn't the image at all. I used a saying that I actually thought I had come up with on my own. Apparently I must have read it somewhere and it stuck in my head. The emails from Zazzle sort of implied it was the image. What I wrote was "no farms, no food." I googled it and it seems to have been created by the American Farmland. 

Thanks Simon for helping me figure this out. I'll put them back up without the quote. 

I had that happen to me once.  If you are not a regular abuser, they won't do anything else.  I am sure that it can happen to anyone.

Wow, I often just say to Matt, "No Farms - No Food" It's a mantra up here in Maine when we support our local farms and buy local - even when it costs a lot more. We belong to a meat CSA and pay 5 times more than we would at a big box grocery store - for both the quality and supporting local beef producers.

I can't believe that common a slogan is somehow protected by any group! I don't think you did anything wrong at all!

I'm so glad it is the text and not the image since I have found so many wonderful images by Nemo. It must have made your heart skip a beat to get that mail from zazzle.

Why not just change the slogan to "No farmers - no food!"?

But, and I am open to being put right here, common words, and phrases made from them, can be trademarked but not copyrighted. Any copyright experts here to correct my assumption?

From http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-general.html ........."What Works Are Protected." .....

Those NOT protected and not able to be protected =  titles, names, short phrases, and slogans, familiar symbols or designs; mere variations of typographic ornamentation, lettering, or coloring; mere listings of ingredients or contents.

I Googled "Is 'No farms - no food' copyrighted?" and the second SERP entry from www.farmland.org stated in the description "Spread the No Farms No Food Message!". If you can't use (and I don't see why you can't) the slogan then their message is nonsensical. 

If  No Farms No Food is copyrightable and copyrighted then is No Farms - No Food? Subtle difference but difference it is. Otherwise add attribution with farmland.com underneath.

I suggest you ask Zazzle to send a copy of the copyright documentation related to the alleged infringement. I am pretty sure none will exists!

Chaz, according to Zazzle, AmericanFarmland's lawyer told them to remove it. They are the only one using it on Zazzle. I would imagine if I make a poster and put it up somewhere, they wouldn't care, but my intent clearly  was to make money. I think it's a silly point, but I'm not in a place to argue with them. Yes, my thought too was if they are really trying help farmers and spread the word, you'd think they'd be happy to see the slogan passed around. 

Paula, thanks so much. I really was mortified. 

Digby, I guess I felt like it was sort of a mantra too. I figured I heard it up in NH and it just stuck in my head. Never dreamed it would be protected.

Sheri and Simon, I'm glad it wasn't the image too. That was just too confusing. The emails from Zazzle didn't tell me exactly what was the problem and there was a link to the image but it didn't work. It just led me to believe the image was the culprit.

I'm glad it got straightened out for you Ragtimelil.  All the worry could have been avoided with a more concise message from Z in the first place, so I wonder why they are not more specific when removing products.

I too use lots of Nemo's images, so am glad it wasn't the issue.

Yeah, glad that crisis is over. Today's crisis is someone disconnected and stole a full tank of propane off my camper last night. Never a dull....

Not worth the fight for sure.  Once the lawyers get involved, it will cost you money. Sorry about today's crisis.

Thanks, Paula.

Ragtimelil: 10/16/2012 - 11:17 AM

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Yeah, glad that crisis is over. Today's crisis is someone disconnected and stole a full tank of propane off my camper last night. Never a dull....

Oh man, that is terrible.  Sorry for that.  Aren't your dogs good watchdogs?