Everyone loves Baby Yoda, right? It certainly seems that way, as the breakout star of Disney Plus’ The Mandalorian is hands-down the most talked about aspect of the hit new show. Whether he’s playing around with the controls of the titular character’s ship or using his Force powers to stop a rampaging Mudhorn, viewers just can’t get enough of him.
Of course, he’s also taken the internet by storm, with folks eager to get their hands on any and all merchandise that they can. But in this regard, there’s been something of a disappointing turn of events. You see, Baby Yoda’s immense popularity caught the Mouse House off guard and they weren’t able to put out anything noteworthy for the holiday season. But thankfully, Etsy was there to save the day.
Yes, some very crafty and creative people began putting together their own merch over on Etsy, with a lot of it being quite impressive, too. Many of the hand-crafted items became viral hits as well, with a lot of these toys and whatnot completely selling out. And while this is all good news for fans, it seems that Disney isn’t too happy about it.
According to The Verge, the studio is now issuing takedown notices, asking Etsy to remove any listings for bootleg Baby Yoda merchandise. From what we understand, these notices are targeting items that include the words “Star Wars,” Yoda” and “Mandalorian” in the listing, with numerous sellers reporting that their listings have been removed from the site. And the most interesting thing about this is the timing of it.
As we all know, Disney is finally getting ready to release officially licensed Baby Yoda merchandise, so it would seem they’re trying to clear the marketplace, so to speak, so that they can have more room to push their own goods. And while they technically do have a legal right to shut down these Etsy sellers and remove listings for the handmade items, it still seems a bit of a shame to do so given the popularity that some of these toys have seen.
Tell us, though, what do you make of all this? Should Disney be cracking down on Etsy? Or should the Mouse House ease up a bit and let the internet have whatever Baby Yoda merchandise it wants? Let us know your thoughts down below.
