It is TeePublic’s policy to remove allegedly infringing works in response to valid complaints under applicable law, but the content is only removed when it has been specifically identified as infringing in a legally valid takedown notice. We generally don't go looking for similar works to remove from the marketplace. TeePublic is an online marketplace, and works are continually being added and removed by users for various reasons.
When rightsholders complain, they usually identify specific content on the marketplace as infringing and request its removal. We don’t know why they decided to leave certain content up on the site that seems identical or similar to the content they’ve asked us to remove. But in general, a few different situations might apply. For example, the rights holder may know that similar work is legitimately licensed to an artist selling on TeePublic, or perhaps they think that similar work is fair use and not infringing.
Also, while it might seem like you’re being unfairly singled out if you see similar works that are still available, rightsholders may be in the process of issuing complaints about other similar content and TeePublic may receive another complaint at any time.
Read our full Intellectual Property Policy here.
Obligatory Yet Very Important Legal Disclaimer
Don’t be fooled by any complicated jargon. We are not your lawyer and this is not legal advice. We recommend contacting an attorney if you need an actual legal consultation. Rather, this is general information aimed at giving you the legal lay of the land. While we can’t defend you in court, we know that art and IP ownership can be murky territory; the least we can do is arm you with the right kind of knowledge to get you started.