That $5 Pillow could be Someone’s Stolen Dream

When my mom first recognized her artwork being sold on Temu, it felt like a punch to the gut. There it was—her original design, one she had spent weeks perfecting—printed on mass-produced merchandise, stripped of credit, and priced like a disposable knockoff.

No one asked her permission. No one paid her a dime.

What happened to her isn’t rare. It’s a symptom of something much bigger: a digital marketplace that increasingly prioritizes speed and profit over ethics and intellectual property. And for artists, it’s becoming harder and harder to fight back.

The Real Cost of Cheap Art

Temu has become one of the fastest-growing e-commerce platforms in the world, known for its low prices and endless scroll of trendy products. But behind many of those products are original artists whose work has been stolen, copied, and resold—often without their knowledge, let alone their consent.

This isn’t just an art-world issue. It’s a legal, ethical, and economic problem that affects everyone who cares about creative work and fair labor.

And yet, enforcement is nearly impossible. Takedown systems are sluggish. Cross-border copyright violations fall into gray areas. Platforms deflect responsibility. Meanwhile, the damage is done.

Below is my mom’s design sold on Temu for under $5

Why I’m Writing This

This blog series is based on research I conducted into how platforms like Temu enable art theft—and why current protections for digital creators are failing. But more than that, it’s based on personal experience.

In upcoming posts, I’ll break down:

• The weak safeguards on platforms like Redbubble and Temu
  

• What artists can do right now to protect their work
  

• How tools like GuardMyArt are trying to change the game

This Is Bigger Than One Artist

The truth is, this problem goes beyond my family. Artists, designers, illustrators, even students—anyone sharing their work online—are vulnerable.

We need better protections. We need more transparency. And we need to stop treating stolen art like it’s just the cost of doing business in the digital age.