Can you sell fan art or licensed characters?

Don't list fan art, brand logos or licensed characters unless you have permission from the owner. Esano's seller terms don't allow copied, traced or trademarked artwork without permission.

What counts as fan art or a licensed character

These are the usual examples:

• Cartoon, movie, game or book characters drawn in your own style.
• Sports team names and logos.
• Brand names, logos and slogans, including on mockups.
• Celebrity names or likenesses.
• Designs "inspired by" a well-known brand that look like it.

Drawing the character yourself doesn't change who owns it. The character, name or logo still belongs to someone else, and Esano's rule is that you need permission to sell artwork that uses them.

What permission has to cover

Esano's Retailer Terms say that every product you sell is either owned by you or covered by the right intellectual property licenses to sell it without further approval by any third party. A real license for a character or brand has to meet that bar.

Before you list, check that your license:

• allows you to sell digital files, not just use the character for your own projects,
• covers the specific character, name or logo in your listing,
• covers the way Esano buyers will use the files (personal, commercial or both), and
• doesn't require you to ask the owner each time a buyer wants a copy.

Keep the license. If someone challenges your listing, you may need to show it.

Don't imply a connection you don't have

Esano's content standards don't allow listings that give the impression they come from, or are endorsed by, a person or company when they aren't. They also don't allow impersonating anyone or misrepresenting your affiliation.

That applies to titles, tags, descriptions and listing images. Avoid writing "official," "licensed" or a brand name unless it is true.

What happens if a listing breaks the rule

Esano can remove listings that break its marketplace policies, and it can pause shops that repeatedly do. See Why Esano hid, suspended or closed your shop. If the owner of a copyrighted character reports your listing, the process is in What happens when a listing is reported.

A removed listing shows Removed by Esano under Listings in your dashboard. Open it to see the reason Esano gave. It can't be published again. See What listing statuses mean.

Trademark complaints

Esano's copyright (DMCA) process covers copyright claims only. Its terms prohibit trademark infringement too, but they don't set out a separate trademark notice process. If you think a listing misuses your trademark, email customerservice@esano.com with the listing link, the mark and proof you own it. For copyright claims, use How to report copyright infringement.

Related rules

For everything else that sellers can and can't list, read What's not allowed on Esano.