Prohibited Items Policy

As a company of musicians and music lovers, we believe in music as the ultimate form of self-expression. We’re inspired every day by the diverse, creative, and passionate community Reverb has grown into, and we’re proud of the steps that we’ve taken—and will continue to take—to ensure that all musicians feel welcome to explore, buy, sell, learn, and be inspired. With that in mind, we’ve created the following policy to help guide our users on what is allowed within Reverb listings.

With every decision, we keep our entire community of customers—including their cultural differences, opinions, and sensitivities—in mind. While some situations will fall outside of what we’ve defined below, every decision will be made in alignment with our belief that anyone who wants to make music should feel empowered and safe to do so.

1. Items That Support or Glorify Hatred
2. Violence or Items That Encourage or Glorify Violence
3. Alcohol, Tobacco, Drugs, or Medical Drugs
4. Illegal Items, Counterfeit Items and Trademark Infringement
5. Pornography and Adult Content
6. Autographed Items or Memorabilia

1. Items That Support or Glorify Hatred

One of the most important tenets of Reverb is to make sure that users of all races, genders, religions, creeds, political affiliations and backgrounds feel safe and included. We recognize that what one user deems hateful and offensive may strike another user as completely benign. As a marketplace with a diverse collection of buyers and sellers, we often must make decisions that not everyone will agree with. As a practice:

  • Reverb does not allow items or listings that promote or glorify hatred towards people based on: race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, disability or sexual orientation (“Protected Classes”)
  • Reverb does not allow items or listings that promote or glorify current or historical hate groups, including their iconography, examples of which are: neo-Nazi groups, the Ku Klux Klan, white supremacist organizations, anti-semitic organizations, misogynist organizations, anti-LGBTQ organizations or anti-immigration organizations (collectively “Hate Groups”)
  • Reverb does not allow items or listings that contain words or terms denigrating Protected Classes or supporting the Hate Groups listed above.

Examples of what is allowed

Items with the words “hate”

“Hate” as a euphemism for music

Language associated with discrimination but not used in that context

2. Violence or Items That Encourage, Glorify or Can Be Used for Violence

The Reverb community encourages safety and our users' right to feel safe on the platform. That said, we do realize the depictions of violence can have both historical and artistic significance or sometimes are just done in good fun (see Halloween). The items and listing that cross that line and are not allowed on the site are as follows:

  • Depictions or glorification people that have been found guilty of violent crimes
  • Depictions or glorification of actual human suffering (this does not include gothic or metal music based imagery)
  • Depictions or glorification of natural disasters
  • Depictions or glorification of violence against individuals or groups that are not encompassed by Section 1 of this policy
  • Any items or listings that support or encourage self-harm
  • Actual weapons.
  • Items that promote or endorse harmful misinformation

Examples of what is allowed

Fake blood on instruments and equipment

Fake weapon guitars

Gun related artistry or comical depictions

Gun Shaped Instruments

3. Alcohol, Tobacco, Drugs, or Medical Drugs

Whether you indulge in alcohol and drugs or not, we can all agree that Reverb is not a marketplace for the sale or promotion of these items. Alcohol and drugs are highly regulated and face many regulatory restrictions and prohibitions; as a result, we cannot facilitate the sale of:

  • Actual alcohol or drugs of any kind, regardless of their legality generally or within certain states. This includes items presented as drug-like substances or as having drug-like effects.
  • Tobacco products of any kind including e-cigarettes or vaping products
  • Drug paraphernalia including, but not limited to, bongs, bubblers, vaporizers or components associated with these items
  • Medical drugs, pharmaceuticals or medical devices.

Generally, Reverb does not have an issue with iconography associated with drugs and alcohol unless it involves another category prohibited under this policy or it involves trademark infringement.

Additionally, Reverb prohibits medical drug claims. A medical drug claim is a statement or suggestion that an item prevents, heals, or treats a medical condition or disease. Medical claims are subject to regulation worldwide, and items that make such claims cannot be sold on Reverb. We understand you may find these items useful, but in the interest of keeping Reverb safe, we ask that you seek these items elsewhere.

Examples of what is allowed

References to 420

Guitars made from tobacco boxes

Guitars made from whiskey barrels

4. Illegal Items, Counterfeit Items and Trademark Infringement

Reverb does not support items that were obtained illegally, promote illegal activity or otherwise violate the law. We know this seems obvious, but when it comes to items for sale on Reverb, it can actually be more complex than you think. To provide further color on this issue, Reverb does not allow the following items or listings on the site:

  • Counterfeit or stolen items. We will cooperate with law enforcement to the extent required if a user decides to post items that fit into this category. This includes turning over a user’s contact information if we are provided with a legal or court order to do so
  • Items that infringe on trademarks. We typically request that the intellectual property owner provide us with proof of their legal right, but provided they do so, we will remove listings that appear to infringe
  • Items made from endangered species. Reverb defines endangered species as those identified in the US Endangered Species Act and the CITES agreement. See here for more information.
  • Items from comprehensively sanctioned countries or geographic areas.
  • Items that have been identified by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC), other government entities, or manufactureres as hazardous to consumers and therefore subject to a recall.
  • Items that otherwise present an unreasonable risk of harm.

Examples of what is allowed

Allusion to and satire of other manufacturers, but no actual infringement of trademarks

Use of properly identified Fender licensed parts with NO bootleg Fender decal or identification as a “Fender”

Guitars with common characteristics that do not infringe on specifically trademarked shapes

5. Pornography and Adult Content

This certainly is not a difficult thing to find on the internet, but it’s not part of Reverb’s mission. That said, we do recognize that nudity or adult content can be an integral part of art, and we do not believe in censorship. So this is a tricky one, but here is what Reverb does not allow on the site:

  • Pornography. And by pornography, we mean explicit or graphic sexual content or activity
  • Any depiction of underage children in this context
  • Any depiction of sexual activity associated with objectification or violence

What is allowed and what may appear on Reverb is “adult content” which may include non-pornographic nudity and profane language.

Examples of what is allowed

Artistic depictions with nudity

Classic pin-up art

Items that use graphic imagery for empowerment

Colorful and explicit language, as well as double meanings, are generally allowed as long as they do not violate any other tenet in our policy.

Examples of what is allowed

6. Autographed Items or Memorabilia

Reverb does not, universally, prohibit autographed items and memorabilia. However, the opportunity for forgery and counterfeiting is much higher in this category than many others, so Reverb, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to remove items or listings believed to be inauthentic. Reverb reserves the right to require Certificates of Authenticity (COA) or Letters of Authenticity (LOA) demonstrating that an item is what it is purported to be. All pictures of the item must also include a clear photograph of the item, as well as the signature and the COA or LOA. Reverb may request the opinion of third-party experts in making the determination of whether or not to suspend a listing in this category.

Updated: February 25, 2021

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