Shein sues Temu for allegedly copying designs

• Shein Sues Temu for Plagiarism.
• Accuses Temu of Industrial Counterfeiting.
• Rivalry Between Platforms Intensifies Dispute.

The Chinese fast fashion giant, Shein, has filed a lawsuit against its rival Temu in the United States this Tuesday, accusing it of copying its designs, the same type of infringement for which Shein has been pointed out by well-known fashion brands.

It should be noted that the company requested a jury trial to determine the compensation for the damages caused.

According to the 80-page lawsuit, filed in a Washington D.C. court, Shein accuses Temu of carrying out a «plot» of theft of industrial secrets, counterfeiting, violation of intellectual rights, and deceptive advertising.

With the goal of «infiltrating» the U.S. market. In addition, it claims that Temu loses money on every purchase made through its platform.

Shein Sues Temu for Copyright Infringement

Shein suing Temu for copyright infringement.

Spider-Man meme complaint if there ever was one. pic.twitter.com/2ethdI1gcb

— Rob Freund (@RobertFreundLaw) August 20, 2024

“Shein argues that Temu attracts American consumers to download and use its mobile app with the promise of extremely low prices.

However, according to the lawsuit, Temu does not profit from the sale of those products, so cheap that the company must subsidize each transaction, incurring losses with every sale,» details the legal document.

Additionally, Shein contends that Temu encourages sellers on its platform to infringe on others’ intellectual property. Facilitating the sale of counterfeit or low-quality products.

It alleges that Temu controls the prices of these goods and that it also prevents the removal of products even if it is confirmed that they are copies, according to El Financiero.

The lawsuit also includes an accusation of «theft of secrets,» noting that a Temu employee had accessed confidential information from Shein. Including the best-selling products and internal data on prices.

Paradoxically, Shein has faced multiple accusations over the years of copying the designs of renowned brands such as H&M, Ralph Lauren, Adidas, or Puma, as well as from independent artists.

The dispute between Chinese e-commerce platforms is not new. At the end of last year, Temu had already accused Shein of infringing its copyright and of intimidating suppliers to sign exclusive agreements with them.

This new legal battle reinforces the fierce competition between both platforms, which seek to dominate the lucrative U.S. fast fashion market.

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