Zazzle
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | E-commerce, Custom printing |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Headquarters | Redwood City, California , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Personalized items such as apparel, posters, custom postage stamps (until 2018) |
Zazzle is an American online platform that connects designers and consumers with independent manufacturers to produce personalized items such as apparel and posters. The company collaborates with prominent brands including Disney, Warner Brothers, and NCAA teams to provide an extensive range of officially licensed digital artwork.
History
Established in 2005 and based in Redwood City, California, Zazzle initially raised $16 million in funding from investors like John Doerr and Ram Shriram, followed by an additional $30 million investment in 2007. The company earned recognition at the 2007 Crunchies awards, receiving TechCrunch's honor for the "best business model."
Focusing on digital printing and embroidery customization on retail clothing and various personalized goods, Zazzle demonstrated strategic growth intentions in 2022 by engaging Citigroup and Barclays to explore a potential initial public offering (IPO) aimed at expanding its presence in international e-commerce.
Custom postage stamp printing
Beginning in 2005, Zazzle collaborated with the United States Postal Service (USPS) to provide customers with the option to create custom postage stamps. This service was terminated on May 15, 2018, as a result of changes in USPS regulations.
Pi trademark incident
In May 2014, following a cease-and-desist notice from artist Paul Ingrisano—who owns a trademark on the symbol "π"—Zazzle removed thousands of products featuring the Greek letter pi. Although initially upholding the removal, the company reversed its stance on May 30 after receiving criticism from both users and sellers, reinstating many of the affected items.
Font lawsuit
In August 2022, graphic designer Nicky Laatz filed a lawsuit against Zazzle, accusing the company of acquiring a single-user license for her trademarked fonts but subsequently distributing them broadly to millions of customers. The complaint alleges that Zazzle generated hundreds of millions in revenue from products utilizing her fonts, which were highly popular for business cards and wedding invitations on the platform.
Zazzle responded by stating it attempted to obtain a server license from Laatz but received no reply and sought dismissal of the case by arguing that font designs themselves are not protected under U.S. copyright law—only font software qualifies for such protection. Laatz maintains she personally hand-coded her fonts, whereas Zazzle’s legal team contends she misrepresented this fact to the copyright office by using font software. This dispute underscores intricate challenges regarding intellectual property rights and software licensing within Zazzle’s operational framework.
See also
External links
- 2005 establishments in California
- American companies established in 2005
- Companies based in Redwood City, California
- Companies formerly listed on the Nasdaq
- Online marketplaces of the United States
- Internet properties established in 2005
- Retail companies established in 2005
- Self-publishing online stores
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment