Shein accuses Temu of industrial-scale copyright theft

"Shein accused Temu of copyright infringement "on an industrial scale" as a two-week trial opened at London's High Court on Monday. Shein's barrister, Benet Brandreth, told the court Temu used around 2,300 product photographs created by Shein employees to advertise look-alike clothing on Temu's website. "This was an attempt to steal a march on an existing participant in the market and Temu has sought to obtain, we say, an unfair advantage," Brandreth said."

"Temu has effectively abandoned its defence of the disputed images, leaving the court to focus on damages, injunctive relief and the broader competition arguments. Temu's counter-claim alleges that Shein engages in anti-competitive practices by locking suppliers into exclusive manufacturing agreements that prevent the same workshops from selling to competing platforms. The proceedings sit in the Business and Property Courts."

"The judge has scheduled two weeks for evidence; a ruling is unlikely before late summer. The London case is the latest in a multi-jurisdictional litigation war between the two Chinese-founded platforms, which have also sued each other in the US, the EU and Singapore. PDD Holdings, Temu's parent company , is listed on the Nasdaq. Shein is preparing a public listing whose venue has shifted between Hong Kong and London under regulatory pressure."

"The dispute is set against rising regulatory scrutiny on both sides. The UK Competition and Markets Authority has been investigating both companies on consumer-protection and pricing-transparency grounds since 2024. The Financial Conduct Authority has separately rev"

A two-week trial began at London’s High Court in a dispute between Shein and Temu. Shein claims Temu used around 2,300 product photographs created by Shein employees to advertise look-alike clothing on Temu’s website, describing the conduct as copyright infringement on an industrial scale. Temu has largely abandoned its defence of the disputed images, shifting focus toward damages, injunctive relief, and broader competition issues. Temu counterclaims that Shein engages in anti-competitive practices by locking suppliers into exclusive manufacturing agreements that prevent the same workshops from selling to competing platforms. The case is in the Business and Property Courts, with a ruling unlikely before late summer. The dispute is part of multi-jurisdictional litigation across the US, EU, and Singapore, amid increasing regulatory scrutiny in the UK.

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